CLACTON'S volunteer lifeboat crew are again calling on generous residents to donate to their Easter egg appeal.

The annual appeal, which is now in its eighth year, sees the Clacton RNLI crew collect eggs and presents to deliver to youngsters in hospital.

Helmsman Tim Sutton came up with the idea for the appeal after seeing his own daughter Amy spend the holidays away from home while she received treatment at Addenbrooke Hospital.

Mr Sutton said he knows from personal experience how miserable it can be over the holiday period for children to be away from home, despite the excellent care and compassion of hospital staff.

He added: "Every year the response to the Easter and Christmas appeal from the local community is truly overwhelming, and just seems to get bigger and bigger each time.

"The last Christmas appeal truly blew me away with the generosity of the local community, which resulted in over 2,000 items being delivered."

Mr Sutton will undertake a 300 miles roadtrip on March 24 with fellow volunteers and RNLI mascot Stormy Stan to donate eggs and presents to youngsters in Essex, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire and Essex.

Items that are left over are sent to Great Ormond Street Hospital in London.

Anyone wishing to donate to the appeal can leave gifts at the Clacton Town Hall, in Station Road, or Clacton Lifeboat Station in Hastings Avenue from 6.30pm to 9pm on Wednesdays and 9.30am to 12.30pm on Sundays.

Clacton RNLI said more than 10,000 items have been donated over the past eight years.