A POSTAL worker has been spreading joy throughout the community by doing his work in fancy dress to raise money for a worthy cause.

Phil Hetherington, who lives in Gainford, decided to dress up during his rounds in Bishop Auckland, County Durham, and managed to raise over £1,500 of donations in the process.

The 38-year-old said: “We did a fancy dress day at work and my customers loved it - I got some amazing feedback.

“After consulting with my line manager, he agreed that I could do fancy dress daily for a local charity, as it is local people’s donations.

“I decided to pick Evergreen Primary SEN School, as it relies on funding.

"The overall experience is great, seeing customers young and old enjoying seeing me each day."

Tracy Kenyon-Sheppard, a teacher at the school, said: "We are overwhelmed by Phil's kindness and generosity, especially in these unprecedented times.

"It was a wonderful surprise that as well as bringing a smile to the local community, he was prepared to raise money for our school.

"We are going to use the money to enhance our forest school area, which is an outdoor, practical learning space, which enables our children to learn through nature.

"We would like to say a massive thank you to Phil and we look forward to inviting him to see how his money has helped us when we are able to return to school."

The postie added: “I think it is massively important that the pupils of Evergreen get the things they need for their education.

“I’d also like to thank all of Bishop Auckland for their continued support. I couldn’t have done this without them.”