FINES issued to bowlers for sneaking coloured socks under their whites to county bowling matches have helped a club raise hundreds for charity.

The Yorkshire Bowling Association has raised £1,000 for Yorkshire Cancer Research over the last year.

Those who mixed whites with colours when it came to their bowls clothing throughout the last year found they had inadvertently fundraised.

A third of the money was raised from fining bowlers who subtly rebelled against the all-white dress code by turning up to county matches with vivid socks, coloured trousers or other tweaks to the uniform.

The rest of the money was raised through traditional fundraising.

Bill Vivers, from Northallerton, who has been president of the Yorkshire Bowling Association for the past year, said: “The fundraising has gone on throughout the summer. The fundraising went on throughout the year at various games with other counties and when we’ve gone on tour.

“We have a fine system for penalties that raised nearly £300, for things such as not wearing white socks or white trousers. We had a fine master who looked after the whole tour.”

Mr Vivers tenure as president of the Yorkshire Bowling Association finishes on Saturday (November 15) and he presented a cheque to Yorkshire Cancer Research at Northallerton Bowling Club, off South Parade, Northallerton.