The famous Whistling Postman, who has raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for charity, has handed in his final donations.

Much-loved Dale Howting presented his last two charity cheques opposite Poundland in Sittingbourne High Street where he has fundraised for 47 years.

The 90-year-old, who celebrated his birthday in September, raised £3,700 this year despite spending time in hospital and in a care home in the summer following a fall.

Kent Surrey Sussex Air Ambulance and children’s hospice charity Demelza, which sent representatives to meet Dale, will receive £1,850 each. The charities have had £45,000 and £55,000 from Dale respectively.

It takes his total to more than a third of a million, most of which has been raised by him sitting on his stationary bike and pedalling furiously.

The former postie, who lives in Goodnestone Road, was given his nickname in 1977 after being told off for whistling on his rounds. He became a celebrity overnight when town folk demanded he carry on with his tunes.

His story ended up on Esther Rantzen's BBC TV show That's Life and Dale used his newfound fame to raise money for charity.

He set off on a sponsored 64-mile cycle ride to Margate on his Post Office bike and handed his first cheque for £1,100 to Sittingbourne Carnival Association the following year.

Thanks to his fundraising, he has been awarded the British Empire Medal and was asked to carry the Olympic Torch for the London Games in 2012.

He also received a Lifetime Achievement plaque from Swale council.

Dale retired from fundraising in October after recognising he needed to slow down. He said: “Thank you to the people of Sittingbourne who have supported me over the years.

“I have got a lot of pleasure from raising the money and doing my bit to help out where I could.

“I’ll still be in the High Street when I can as I am a people person and I want to say hello to the people who have supported me for so long.”

Dale’s son Shaun Howting, 64, was also at the cheque hand-over ceremony and said he was “proud” of his fundraising legend father.

He added: “When Dad’s story was first reported it made it to page five of The Sun newspaper and my schoolmates had a field day with that.

“But I am so proud of him now. He has turned around what at the time was a negative thing about him getting told off into something which is very special and incredible.”