CUSTOMERS at an Amblecote supermarket have been thanked for helping to raise more than £4,000 for charity during the Christmas period.

During the festive season, Sainsbury’s Amblecote collected £4,165.03 for various community groups and causes during a number of events.

More than £1,000 was raised during five carol singing events in aid of Brierley Hill Primary School, St James' C of E Primary School, Stourbridge Choir and Orchestra, 1st Norton Rainbows, Holy Trinity, Amblecote and St Michael's Brierley Hill Churches.

While Kingswinford and Stourbridge Lions raised almost £640 during an in store collection and together with proceeds from a one day raffle and donations to a remembrance tree and reindeer food stands, a staff-led fundraising weekend made £1,533.23 for the store’s ‘Local Charity of the Year’ Hearing Dogs for Deaf People.

Elsewhere, customers had extra help packing their bags when Stambermill St Marks Scout Group visited the supermarket, with shoppers donating almost £800 to the group.

Julie Bate, of Sainsbury’s Amblecote, said: “Christmas is for sharing and we’re extremely grateful to our customers and colleagues for being so generous.”

The store also thanked customers for their donations to its two front-of-store food donation partners during 2016.

The Black Country Food Bank received 3189.6kg bags of food, the equivalent of 1,594 meals, as well as 153.5kgs of non-food, while Wellcat received 4,711 assorted tins and packs of cat food.