A newspaper appeal to help elderly people with their winter heating bills has collected more than £17,000 within a month.

The Manchester Evening News asked any reader over 60 and who didn’t need their winter fuel allowance to donate the cash to their Winter Warmer Appeal.

Assistant editor Robert Ridley said: “Everyone gets the £200 winter fuel allowance when they get to 60 but not everyone really needs it to heat their home.

“People who are 60 but still working, others who have comfortably retired with a company pension and many who go abroad for the colder months – or even live there permanently – get the money but don’t really need it for the purpose it was intended.

“We asked those people to donate their allowance to our appeal, with the money going to the ten Age Concern centres across Greater Manchester to help elderly people who are struggling to pay their bills.”

The appeal was run in conjunction with the Cheshire Building Society which gave £3,000 and set up a special account to receive money.

Donations ranged from £5 to £300 with company chairman Robert Hough also giving his £200 allowance to the cause.

The ten Age Concern centres, along with the Macclesfield Centre in Cheshire, will receive £1,549 each from the grand total of £17,043.

MEN editor Paul Horrocks said: “It has been a fantastic response, particularly considering the appeal ran for less than four weeks.

“The recent huge rises in fuel bills have made headlines and can only add to the problems faced by the elderly.

“I am sure Age Concern will see that the money is put to good use.”