Kind-hearted Blackpool call centre staff swapped work clothes for fancy dress on Friday night as they helped Pudsey Bear raise more than £17 million for Children in Need.

Civil service volunteers from across the north west made their way to Warbreck House in Blackpool for the biggest charity night of the year last Friday to staff phones normally used by the Disability and Carers Service.

More than 100 phone lines were handed over to the charity appeal for the night and pledges totalling £125,675.50 were taken between 7.30pm and 2am.

''I am delighted that we are able to support such an important event as Children in Need," said Terry Moran, chief executive of the DCS.

"Day to day, Disability and Carers Service staff deliver a dedicated service to customers with advice on disability benefits. On the night night they showed their commitment to a wider cause."

"Staff across the country in DCS were involved in raising as much money as possible and here in Blackpool they volunteered to answer telephone pledges, while having tremendous fun."

And across the Fylde Coast many different kinds of community groups were taking part in events to help disadvantaged children.

As the Citizen revealed last week, town centre nightspot, Brannigans, was also getting into the Children in Need spirit, netting more than £500 from a sponsored (male) waxing.

There was more male waxing down at the St Annes campus of Blackpool and the Fylde College, where local firefighters got in on the act.

Up at Wyre Borough Council, a series of events helped the local authority to raise more than £2,000.