THOUSANDS braved the wind and rain to take part in the Spooky Welly Walk at Sherdley Park.

The event, which attracted more than 3,000, helped raise £18,000 for the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation.

The event went ahead after the Clock Face Hotel responded to a last-minute plea for help from organiser Jenny Snell after Storm Brian destroyed the gazebo used for the Hallowe’en-themed event.

Jenny said: “We’re really grateful to Jamie. He is the true star, and he saved the day.

“Last Saturday was amazing, despite the weather. We had a fantastic day in Sherdley Park - so many people turned out to support us. It was brilliant seeing all the great costumes and so many happy faces.

“And of course, money raised will help our efforts to beat Britain’s biggest cancer killer, which we will only do by working together.”

She added: “This is a special week for the charity, as November is Lung Cancer Awareness month.

“It’s a key showcase to raise awareness of lung cancer, its signs and symptoms and the need for additional funding to help us research further into this terrible disease.

“Lung cancer is more prevalent in St Helens than in most parts of the country, probably due its heritage of mining and heavy industry. It’s so important for us to spread the word. To find out more and to get involved we would encourage readers to go to roycastle.org to find out more about our #HeadHigh campaign."

Jenny added: “We would also like to give all of the residents of St Helens the opportunity to play our Christmas raffle and Win Christmas!

"Raffle tickets are only £1 and the prize includes Christmas decorations and a tree, gift vouchers to the value of £200 for Next, Christmas dinner and all the trimmings - and an iPad.

"It’s a fantastic prize. To play, go to roycastle.org/winchristmas. And good luck!”