Great grandad raises £6,000 for charity after dressing as Santa at Burnley stores including Iceland Lidl Tesco Sainsburys and Asda

For the last seven years, Ian has dressed up in a santa costume to hold bucket collections in the store in the final run-up to Christmas.

He’s worn the same outfit to collect over the same period at Lidl in Colne Road and the town centre’s Asda, Sainsbury’s and Tesco branches.

Altogether, Ian’s collections have raised a massive £6,124.80 for Rosemere Cancer Foundation.

Retired foundry worker Ian, who has a son and a daughter, two grandchildren and two great-grandchildren, said: “I do it as payback – I was diagnosed with bowel cancer seven years ago. I had treatment at Rosemere Cancer Centre and received the all clear. It’s my way of saying thank you for the care I received.”

Sue Swire, fundraising manager for Rosemere Cancer Foundation, said: “Ian is amazing. He organises his own costume and his own collections. We are very grateful to him and to everyone who has ever added to his collection bucket.

“Ian’s supported us through organising a charity bowling tournament at St Andrew’s Bowling Club in Burnley and in other ways too but he’s a Rosemere legend when it comes to bucket collections.”