GENEROUS businesses and drinkers touched by the tsunami disaster have raised more than £800.

Members at Redcar's Priory Club organised a raffle with dozens of prizes. Club owner Peter Carragher arranged a first prize of 50 pints to the winner, but when word spread about the fundraising, more prizes were donated.

The charity bucket was full to the rim and raised a total of £875 at Lord Street Club on Saturday.

Mr Carragher said: "It started off quite small with first, second and third prizes. But then the members started putting their hands in their pockets. The images on the news have really affected people and they just wanted to help as much as they could.

"I was totally overwhelmed by the response."

Bottles of rum and whisky were among prizes as well as fruit baskets from local greengrocers. Mr Carragher said: "I'd like to thank the generous members for all their help, it was certainly an excellent gesture."

Meanwhile, pirates and buxom beauties helped to raise £300 at pubs in Staithes where the crew of the RNLI Inshore Lifeboat, Pride of Leicester, urged drinkers to give generously.

The crew members, dressed as busty wenches with their wives as burly pirates, staged their fundraising event in aid of the tsunami disaster fund on New Year's Eve.