WESTHOUGHTON actress Maxine Peake hit out at critics who accused her of hypocrisy.

The Silk and Shameless star was the voice of an NHS campaign to recruit nurses for which the Mail on Sunday reported she was paid a four figure sum.

In the past Ms Peake has spoken out for the Labour party about the state of the NHS under the Tory government and Tory MP Simon Hart was reported as saying Ms Peake's actions were "hypocritical".

However, Maxine Peake defended herself on Twitter saying: "I was not employed by the NHS, but by an advertising agency who hold a pre-agreed budget for the whole of the campaign. If I had refused the fee, the money wouldn't have been returned to the NHS, but to the commercial agency.

"I decided to donate my fee to The Salford Foundation Trust, of which I am a patron, who support children and young people in my area. I chose to support the Trust as I believe strongly in the life-enhancing and life changing work they do.

"Thank you to The Mail on Sunday for allowing me to highlight the wonderful and tireless work of The Salford Foundation Trust."