An animal charity has been given a helping hand thanks to the Dartford Messenger.

Wayne May, of Artisan Rare Breeds based in Dartford, is thrilled after the Colney Road and Temple Hill Square branches of the Co-op agreed to support it for a year.

Co-op staff got in contact with Mr May after reading about his charity in the Dartford Messenger.

Mr May runs the animal conservation organisation and among the animals under his watch are exotic breeds of sheep, goats and birds,

To celebrate the announcement he turned up at the supermarket in Temple Hill with a Cameroon lamb, which is the world’s rarest breed of sheep with only 700 in the world.

The conservationist said: “It’s absolutely brilliant really – it’s the first time we’ve ever had a shop go out of their way to help us.

“They were on the phone every day for about five days and were asking what they could do around the year for us.”