A trio of charities have benefited from an old social club's former members, who raised over £25,000 for their chosen good causes.

The Prison Officers' Social Club at Feltham Young Offenders Institution had nearly 400 members before a fire forced its closure.

Fixtures and fittings were sold at a boot sale and the proceeds were divided between Ashford Breast Care Unit, the Shooting Star Hospice appeal for the children's hospice at Hampton and the Operation Happy Child appeal for terminally ill children. Each received £8,400.

Retired prison officer Colin Diaper, of Ashford, said: "The reason club members agreed that the breast care unit should be one of the beneficiaries was that it is a local good cause that many neighbours, wives, mothers or sisters have all needed to use at some time."

At Ashford Hospital the donation was presented to consultant surgeon Sunita Shrotria on Monday, February 4, by Colin's wife, Dee.

The couple started fundraising for Ashford following Dee's treatment by Ms Shrotria.

Ms Shrotria said: "This is a great donation which is very much appreciated. We use such donations in many ways: to improve the service, for putting nurses on courses, for extra equipment and for research."

The unit hopes to buy digital mammography equipment and is attempting to raise half of the £250,000 needed to buy the machine.

Mr Diaper had been a prison officer for 26 years and spent 14 years at Ashford Remand Centre. When it closed he was transferred to the offenders' institute before retiring.