CHILDREN'S charity helpers flagged up their annual street collection by adopting the guise of some famous personalities from stage and screen.

Strategically placed round Durham City centre on Saturday were Laurel and Hardy, Dennis the Menace, Prince Charming, St Trinian's schoolgirls, "Wrinkly Spice", Robin Hood and Maid Marian, and Batman.

The fancy dress theme was taken up by National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) volunteers to add some colour and, hopefully, increase the number of donations at their annual flag day collection in Durham.

NSPCC branch chairman Carol Jackson -"Ollie" for the day - said it appeared to have proved successful.

She was outside the town hall with sidekick Stan Laurel, branch committee member June Coates.

"We have a flag day collection every year, but this was the first time we've done it in fancy dress," she said.

"We thought it would help to catch the eye, and it seemed to work. We got all sorts of attention, and one man put an extra pound into the collecting tin for a kiss from each of us."

Carol said proceeds gathered in Durham and in similar collections round the North-East prove very valuable to the NSPCC.