Pensioner supports soldiers with 8-hour “knit-in”

A pensioner who wants to show she supports soldiers has staged an eight-hour "knit-in" and created batches of handmade scarves for troops in Afghanistan.

Heather Herneford from Bristol retirement village Westbury Fields sat in the middle of a cricket pitch to complete the knitting marathon, the Evening Post reports.

As well as making many scarves for members of the armed forces, the 84-year-old placed a donation basket beside her and raised £200 for Help for Heroes.

"I've been knitting all my life – that's one small thing I can do – and I know the scarves will be put to good use by our troops on cold nights," she said.

Ms Herneford has been preparing for the feat by investing in a different colour ball of yarn every week and she managed to create four scarves in red, blue, grey and purple by 13:00 during the knit-in, which lasted from 09:00-17:00 BST.

This follows news that a 68-year-old grandmother stripped off and posed nude for a charity calendar in honour of Help for Heroes, the Oxford Times reported.

Posted by Mark Wilkins