HUNDREDS of thousands of used stamps will help fund a hospice.

Ron Trotter, president of Chester-le-Street Rotary Club, has collected 8kg of stamps for St Cuthbert's Hospice, in Durham.

The hospice relies on public support for its work with the terminally ill, and the stamps will be sold to enthusiasts.

Mr Trotter, who is also a Chester-le-Street district councillor, amassed the stamps in about a year.

He said they had come from the council, residents depositing them at the Civic Centre, and organisations throughout the area, including the police authority, Peacock's Surgical Supplies, in Newcastle, and Rotary clubs.

Mr Trotter said: "I would not have a clue how many stamps there are. It must be into the millions because I have got about 20 ordinary carriers full of them.

"The hospice is desperate for funds. Cancer is a prevalent disease in society and if we could get a cure, it would be marvellous."

Mr Trotter also estimates he has helped collect 24,000 unwanted pairs of spectacles for Sightsavers, a charity which takes glasses to Third World countries for people who cannot afford them. The charity is backed by Rotary International.