A family-run business has set up a Christmas appeal to help an animal shelter.

Staff at Brooks Funeral Directors, in Church Hill Road, East Barnet Village, are collecting for Wood Green Animal Shelter, in Lordship Lane, Wood Green.

People can donate money, bedding, food or anything they think will help the animals.

Natasha Mercer, 28, a funeral arranger at Brooks, said: “I am a big animal lover, and we have done quite a lot of charity work so far this year. This is something different, but still worthwhile.

“You can imagine animal shelters will be inundated with a lot of animals after the Christmas period. They are so happy we are doing this collection. Everything they do depends on collections. We also don’t mind trotting round to people’s houses and collecting, if they can’t come into the shop.”

The company also has a Christmas memorial tree in the office, where people can pop in and write a tag for a loved one to hang on the tree. People can also leave a message over the phone, for staff to hang up on the tree.

People can donate at the shop at 16 Church Hill Road, East Barnet Village, from now until the New Year, or call 0208 441 6062 to arrange someone to come round to collect.