AN ILMINSTER store has raised £800 to support the Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance by charging 5p for plastic bags.

The store is not forced to charge 5p for plastic bags by legislation, but it is Spar store policy to collect the small sum and donate the total to charity at the end of 12 months.

Laurie McKinnon is the director of Spar and Texaco on Station Road in Ilminster.

He recently donated the shop’s first 12 month total to charity along with Debbie Birtwhistle from Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance, and Sandra Parsons, who works in the store and volunteers for the air ambulance.

Mr McKinnon said: “We have always supported the air ambulance and we have consistently had collection tins in the store and we try and donate to local groups a lot.

“The whole 5p goes to charity. We don’t take anything out of that at all.

“It is not actually legislation for us to charge the 5p because of the size of our staff, but Spar said that all stores would collect the 5p money and donate it to local causes at the end of the year.

“We have done that since it started in 2015.

“This donation was the money from when it started until October 2016. We will donating again once we reach October and the money is all collected up.

“Thank you to the local people of Ilminster. Everyone is extremely generous. Anyone always says any spare change then put it in the tin and give it to the air ambulance, so they are very generous and ready to support this cause.”