CHRISTMAS may seem a long way off - but it’s never too early to prepare.

Although spring has only just begun a North Yorkshire hospice charity is already asking amateur photographs can help it get ready for the festive season.

Northallerton-based Herriot Hospice Homecare is seeking photographs of wintry scenes which can be used on its 2015 Christmas card.

And it wants people to send in pictures they have taken over the last few years which depict winter in North Yorkshire.

The competition will then be judged by the acclaimed Joe Cornish Gallery in Northallerton.

Spokesman Deborah Horton said: “Whilst Christmas may be far from many peoples’ thoughts at the moment, we need to plan well ahead when it comes to producing things like cards.

“We think now is a good time to request photographs as many people will have taken pictures during the current winter.

“We are planning to print around 3,000 Christmas cards this year, so we think it would be really nice thing for the winner to know their photograph is being enjoyed by so many people.”

People should take their prints to charity’s head office in Thurston Road, Northallerton, or drop them off at any of its three shops in Northallerton, Stokesley and Thirsk. The photographs must have the name, address and telephone number of the person who submitted them on the back.

Those who would prefer to send digital images can email them to fr-team@herriothh.org.uk but keep the size of the images to a maximum of 1MB.