A FUNDRAISING auction has raised hundreds of pounds for an animal charity in desperate need of funding.

The National Animal Welfare Trust, in Clacton, has been closed since the start of the coronavirus lockdown.

As a result, the non-profit organisation has been unable to rehome the same amount of abandoned cats and dogs it usually would.

Due to the financial impacts of the pandemic, the future of the animal safe haven also remains uncertain, and now more than ever, bosses are relying on donations from the public.

In a bid to generate vital funding, the trust recently auctioned off 17 hampers, packed with a variety of donated prizes.

With bidding going down to the final minute, the online auction eventually closed, having raised just under £600 for the charity.

A spokesman for the National Animal Welfare Trust said: "Thank you to everyone who bid, helping to edge up the total right until the final minute.

"You never fail to warm the cockles of our hearts with your generosity and unfailing support."