KIND-hearted regulars from Oldswinford pub The Crown dug deep into their pockets to raise in the region of £20,000 for Mary Stevens Hospice.

Even the organisers were stunned by the amount obtained from their annual charity day which was confined to the pub's car park.

Licensee Chris Foxall has been staging the charity day for the past nine years which has now netted a staggering £94, 000 for the Stourbridge hospice which is based opposite the pub in Hagley Road.

Chris said: "I've been at the Crown for ten years. I was sitting with a group of regulars when one of them suggested we should do something for the hospice.

"At first we thought we might make a couple of grand - but we've all been gobsmacked and humbled by the total we've raised.

"Ironically the past three years have been the most successful and this time everything just seemed to come together at the right time.

"We raised around £3,000 just through donations. We also do a programme for the event and that brought in another £3,500 through advertising.

"People have been so generous. We held an auction which included three luxury holidays and we must have totalled between 300 and 400 people on the car park where we had a marquee, barbecue, tombola, you name it.

"There was also live music from 'The Version' and 'The Starving Rascals' who have turned up and performed for us every year.

"It's a fantastic effort.

"I also have to thank the neighbours. We put leaflets through houses in Hagley Road and Worcester Lane. Many of them are regulars anyway, but not only do they put up with the noise every year, but they come and support us as well, for which we are very grateful."