CUSTOMERS at a grocery store have helped raise £1,000 to support the life-saving work of the Great North Air Ambulance Service.

As a Member of charity Making a Difference Locally (MADL), Darlington store Ken Warne, in Cleveland Terrace, presented the £1,000 they raised to GNAAS on Thursday (May 23).

Store manager Steve Poad, 57, said 2p from sales of products bearing the MADL logo would go directly to GNAAS.

MADL is a charity created by convenience store chain Nisa for independent stores to raise money in aid of local charities or good causes, which are selected by the stores themselves.

For eight months, Ken Warne has raised £1,000 for the air ambulance by selling a range of items from sweets to chocolates to biscuits.

It plans to present to GNAAS every £1,000 raised in future.

Mr Poad said: “It is a worthwhile charity. Hopefully we don’t need them, but when we do, they are there for help. It benefits everybody.

“Big thanks to all our customers who helped us do the brilliant donation. Hopefully we can present more in the future.”