HUNDREDS of pounds have been raised for Bolton's NHS breast cancer unit thanks to some extra help from Santa and his elf.

Breast cancer survivor Sue Haslam and friend Becky Staines decided to organise a the second of a series of annual socially distanced doorstep visits from Santa and his elf to homes across Bolton after seeing the impact that the pandemic was having on young families.

They decided to use the visits to spread festive cheer and in the process raise money for Our Bolton NHS Charity as a way of showing their appreciation for how the trust's breast cancer unit cared for Ms Haslam when she was undergoing treatment.

Ms Haslam, who played the elf, said: "The staff at Bolton Breast Unit and the care they provide are truly world-class.

"I felt so well looked after and wanted to use the second year of our Santa visits to raise money for the breast unit."

All the profits made from the doorstep visits were used for this purpose.

Ms Staines, who played Santa, said: "We organise the Santa visits on the run up to Christmas to bring as much joy to people as we can and to raise awareness of charities close to our hearts.

"This year, we chose Our Bolton NHS Charity and donated £500 to the breast speciality fund to contribute towards mastectomy bras for breast cancer patients as a thank you for everything they do."

The pair's efforts have been applauded by the trust's management.

Our Bolton NHS Charity manager Sarah Skinner said: "It was an absolute joy to welcome Santa and Sue the elf to a socially-distanced cheque presentation and to hear about their doorstep visits to raise money in aid of Our Bolton NHS Charity.

"Even from behind the face masks, the smiles of our NHS colleagues were evident and we are delighted to learn that every member of staff at Bolton NHS Foundation Trust is on the nice list this year."