A category A prisoner serving time on A wing is giving 7,100 telephone cards, which will be sold off to raise money for the Sue Ryder hospice at Oxenhope.

The appeal for telephone cards was launched last December by Keighley couple Ken and Chris Weston.

Through the Keighley News they asked for donations of unwanted phone cards.

The cards are sold to dealers and collectors, with all proceeds to the cancer-care home.

The prisoner - his name and details of his sentence could not be released - heard about the appeal on the Pam Ayres BBC Radio show.

He then contacted the BBC and they gave him details of the Manorlands appeal.

A prison spokesman says: "It is something he has done before and he wanted to help."

Manorlands fundraising officer David Wood says the prisoner rang him on Wednesday to say the cards could be collected.

"We didn't get a lot of time to talk because he said his phone card was running out!" says David.

"But we are delighted for his support.

"It is the first time I have known help for Manorlands come from this particular source."

Mr and Mrs Weston, of Hainworth Wood Road, were collecting the phone cards from the prison in Love Lane, Wakefield as the Keighley News went to press.

They are hoping to sell on some of the cards at the Manchester telephone card fair on Sunday.

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