Christmas has come early for one Blackburn boy and his grandmother in their bid to raise funds for the Magic Eye appeal.

Jordan Conroy and his grandmother Sheila Brennan have taken recycling to new lengths by making 1,250 gift tags from discarded Christmas cards.

The nine-year-old spent hours cutting up the cards, which will be sold for one penny each.

"I explained it to him and he really made a good job," said Mrs Brennan, 62, of Bombay Street, Blackburn.

"He said it was a good idea because it would be helping people.

"I know it's early but Christmas will be here before we know it."

The fundraising effort is a first for young Jordan who is looking forward to returning to Lammack County Primary School, Lammack Road, Blackburn. He will now qualify for a Youth Award Certificate from appeal organisers.

Jordan, who has been helping to make the tags on weekly visits to his grandmother's house, said: "It has been really good fun and I enjoy doing art. I am going to carry on doing them now that I have started."

The Lancashire Evening Telegraph Magic Eye Appeal aims to raise £200,000 for an endoscopic ultrasound scanner which will benefit the whole of East Lancashire with the quicker diagnosis of stomach and oesophagus cancer.

Jordan and his gran Sheila are pictured in party mood as they wade their way through 1,250 gift tags.