A barber in Deal High Street has pledged to match all RNLI 5p pot donations handed into his shop next month.

Throughout May, Aaron Dawkins of Men's Style Barbering and Hairdressing is supporting the charity's May Day fundraising campaign.

The 31-year-old is encouraging shoppers to pop by, pick up a pot and fill it with five pence pieces. Each pot can fit around £2 worth of the silver coins.

He'll then double whatever is raised in the 31 days helping to pay for new equipment for crew members.

He said: "I wanted to help raise money for the RNLI and awareness of Betty's Pots and their May Day scheme.

"The chairman Roger Blown and some of the volunteers are long standing customers of mine and I know how much work they do."

Walmer RNLI which is The Mercury's Charity of the Year 2019 has only been running its Betty's 5p Pots appeal for eight weeks and has so far raised £1,600.

The nationwide scheme is named after Betty Frith who was honorary treasurer at the Hertford Branch of the RNLI.

As part of its separate month-long May Day campaign which raises money specifically for kit, the charity has adapted some of the pots with orange lid stickers.

Pots with an orange stickers can be dropped into Men's Style from 8.30am until 5.30pm Monday to Saturday.

Chairman of the station in Walmer, Roger Blown, said: "It's absolutely wonderful to have Aaron's support and we thank him.

"It costs £1,800 to kit one volunteer and with more support like this, we'll go along way."

The Walmer station hopes to raise more funds at its annual car wash from 10am and 3pm on Saturday, May 4 and at the Walmer Car Show on Saturday, May 25.