TORY leader David Cameron has been hailed a real “smartie pants” after donating £12 to a Pendle community centre.

During a visit to Barnoldswick last month, town councillor Jenny Purcell told Mr Cameron she planned to send every one of the country’s 650 MPs a tube of Smarties to fill with 20p pieces to help pay for improvements at St Joseph’s Community Centre.

Mrs Purcell told the Conservative Party Leader £12 worth of 20p pieces could be fit into an empty tube. Earlier this week she said she got a “nice surprise” when a cheque from Mr Cameron for £12 arrived in the post along with a letter.

Mr Cameron wrote: “I was very interested to hear about your inventive fundraising idea for St Joseph’s.

“It’s great that you are supporting the community in this way.”

Mrs Purcell, who is an independent councillor, said her next task was to convince the other 649 MPs to follow Mr Cameron’s example.

Mrs Purcell, of Gisburn Road, said: “When I received the letter I thought ‘what the heck is this?’ “I was more than surprised, but a bit disappointed because there was no kiss on the bottom. That would have really made my day.

“I want to be invited down to the House of Commons to hand them out. I’ll see this through to the end.”

The Smarties tube idea was dreamed up by 12-year-old James Hall from Earby, who attends St Joseph’s Church and the community centre.