THE University of Bolton has thanked the country for its “breast” ever response to an appeal for donations.

Staff and students on the University of Bolton’s health visitors course have been inundated with knitted breasts from across the country.

In the summer, the university put out a plea to anyone keen on knitting to create the items, which are used in classes, and people responded in droves.

So far the university has received more than 100 and they are still coming in from as far away as the Isle of Wight.

Students are using the knitted breasts as teaching aids for new mums to demonstrate the best way to breast feed. Each student is given a doll and a knitted breast so that they can practise and demonstrate their skills.

Katie McLaughlin is a lecturer on the specialist community public health practice programme, which incorporates the health visiting course. She said: “The response has been fantastic.

“We didn’t expect this many but we welcome them as we can use them for the next set of students in January and the next academic year.

“We’d like to thank everyone who sent in the breasts and also like to say ‘keep them coming’.”

Learning facilitator Sue First replies to each knitter, thanking them for their valued contribution.

She said: “It has been a great response and we’re happy so many people have got involved so I thought it would be a nice touch if each knitter got a reply.

“We have had knitted breasts from the Isle of Man, Dorset and Wales and they are still coming in.

“People are getting involved because they want to lend a hand, others just because they love knitting, but we’re also had some more personal reasons.

“For example, one lady from the Isle of Man said she knitted her breast as her son was born in Royal Bolton Hospital and she wanted to ‘give back’.”

Anyone who wants to help the appeal by donating a knitted a breast should email s.first@bolton.ac.uk for the pattern.