A SPECIAL badge in aid the Royal British Legion's Poppy Appeal, has gone on sale in Spennymoor.

The town's poppy badge is usually commissioned by TA Plastics in time for Remembrance Sunday, but has been released earlier this year.

Boss John Humphreys said: "In previous we have always produced more than the pre-ordered amount and when they have all sold out, there was still a demand for them, but not enough time to get some more produced.

"So this year, I thought if we were to get the badges produced earlier and if they all sell out, it would give us more time to get more produced if the demand is there."

The badge was designed by Army veteran Pete Molloy and features a poppy, the town's coat of arms and a scroll inscribed with 'Lest we forget'.

He said: "I came up with four designs incorporating the town's coat of arms, but both John Humphreys of TA Plastics and I couldn't agree with each other on a design, so I placed the four designs on the Spennymoor What's Happening Facebook group for the group's members to decide which design they like the best and the most popular design was the one that got turned into this year's badge."

The badge is £3 from De Vere's barber shop, Kandy Kaye, Hockings butchers, The Victoria pub, The Blackhorse pub, Wetherspoons, KGH club, Spennymoor Town FC and TA Plastics/Advanced Windows. All profits go to the Poppy Appeal.