A BOLTON woman has raised thousands of pounds for charity selling crocheted poppies.

Barbie Bostock, aged 46, from Bromley Cross, has raised more than £4,000 for the Royal British Legion since she started selling hand-crocheted poppy buttons from her craft business Wright on the Button, in 2013.

She started on the project after a customer suggested the poppy design to her when she had been made unemployed.

"It was something to keep me occupied while I was looking for other employment," Barbie said.

"We raised £750 the first year. And then we decided to do it again the year after that and more than doubled it."

The project is very much a family affair with Barbie's sister, Mandy Oldham, and mother, Josie Wright, helping with knitting and admin.

Every year Barbie and her family try to come up with a new design to keep customers coming back - though she says she has had to scale back her efforts since starting work as an art technician.

She said: "This year we weren't going to do them, just to give people a break.

"But various people called me up asking if we were going to do them again."

The poppies cost £2.50, with £1 from each sale going to the Royal British Legion.

They have been sold by Wright on the Button and in shops around Bolton and across the North West.

"I have pictures of people sitting on the beach in Australia with them," said Barbie.