Seven charities were each handed cheques of £700 thanks to a superb fund-raising effort by staff at the Middlesbrough Evening Gazette.

It was part of a regular donation from the newspaper – but was swelled this year after staff gave up their last hour’s pay of 1999 to boost the total.

The seven charities were surprised at the good news. They had no idea how much money was on the way until the cheques were handed out by Evening Gazette managing director Neil Benson.

The money was shared between Teesside Hospice, South Cleveland Against Bowel Cancer, The Katie Trust, Cleveland Alzheimers, The Clarke Lister Appeal, Stockton Multiple Sclerosis Society and the NSPCC.