THE Blackdown Shepherd Huts company took the axe to Christmas cards, opting instead to make a substantial donation to the charity Help for Heroes.

Co-founder George Bannister said: “Our customers share our integrity and know a major charity donation, especially at Christmas, is more deserving than a mere piece of paper through the post, and that a fortnight later it ends up in the bin or is lucky enough to be recycled.”

“We thought hard about charities and felt that with UK military budgets stripped back the timing was right to honour the sacrifices British servicemen and women have made.”