A VILLAGE gun club has been praised for its charity fundraising efforts.

The Shadforth Valley Shoot staged a clay pigeon shoot and barbecue that raised £2,830 for the British Heart Foundation.

During the event, novices were taught how to shoot, by experienced members, and there was a raffle and an auction of goods.

Stuart Watt, of Shadforth, who is a committee member of the charity's Durham branch, has done a lot of fundraising himself since he had a heart transplant in 1995.

"I'd like to thank the club members for their efforts, £2,830 is a fantastic amount of money to raise," he said.

"They put a lot of time and effort into it and there were over 200 tickets sold, so it was well supported. It was a very safe and well-organised event and there were a lot of families there.

"The top raffle prize was £100, but the winner decide to donate back to the British Heart Foundation. That was great."