The Weston & Somerset Mercury is set to cash in – literally – on the demise of European currencies by asking people to donate their unwanted cash to help south-west charity Weston Hospicecare.

Posters have been displayed throughout Weston-super-Mare town centre encouraging people to support the currency of care campaign and collection boxes have been placed in Weston Hospicecare shops and in the offices of the Mercury.

The campaign is working – and collecting boxes are already filling up in and around the seaside town.

Foreign tourists and business travellers are already filling collection buckets and collecting tins with defunct currencies which will be phased out with the introduction of the euro.

The money will be sent to a specialist company which will turn it into usable cash for the charity.