ANIMAL lovers attended a Mad Hatter's Tea Party - to help raise money for homeless pets needing new families to care for them.

ANIMAL lovers attended a Mad Hatter's Tea Party - to help raise money for homeless pets needing new families to care for them.

Volunteers and staff from Felixstowe Blue Cross animal welfare and adoption centre dressed as characters from Alice in Wonderland for the event, serving tea and cake to visitors.

Among the guests was Biscuit, a former resident of the centre, who went on to find fame as the winner of the Rex Factor competition on Chris Evans' BBC Radio 2 Drivetime show and is now the programme's mascot.

Andy Gillon, manager of the centre in Walton High Street, said: “It was a lot of fun and lot of enthusiastic staff dressed up as characters from Wonderland.

“We had about 40 people visit during the day and raised about �120.

“I would like to say a big thank you to all the staff and our wonderful volunteers who helped with the day and to everyone who came along for tea.”

Selling just 14 cups of tea raised enough money to provide a vaccine to help protect one animal from life-threatening diseases.

The event was part of the national Blue Cross Tea Party with supporters up and down the country holding similar parties throughout spring and summer to help the thousands of needy pets cared for at Blue Cross hospitals and adoption centres every year.

Felixstowe Blue Cross is open Monday and Tuesday from 11am to 4pm; Wednesdays 11am to 1pm; Thursday to Saturday 11am to 4pm. Or people can ring on 01394 283254.