St Elizabeth Hospice has received a long overdue donation - from a collection pot older than the hospice itself.

The blue pot, which dates back to July 1989 , was discovered in the house of a person who had died and was passed on by the executor of their will.

And although it contains a few old five pound notes, the pennies mounted up to £70.

The hospice only opened its doors to patients in November 1989 and was officially opened by HRH The Princess Royal a few weeks later. But in the run up to the opening, vital funds were needed to build the hospice.

A few weeks after the first collection pot turned up, a second was handed in dating back to 1992.

Jodie Whitham, community fund-raising co-ordinator for the hospice, who was born in the same year, said: “I hadn’t expected to receive something that had been handed out before I was born but we’re always grateful for any donations no matter how far back they date.

“It’s what I love about my job, you never really do know what’s going to come through the door.”