Christmas is coming early to charities thanks to Sittingbourne's 'whistling postman' Dale Howting.

The veteran fundraiser, who spends his days on a bike collecting cash, has raised a record £12,800 this year despite yobs stealing some of his takings.

Dale, 87, had his bike and collecting tin stolen in April and £50 taken.

But the community backlash was so huge that kind-hearted shoppers dug deep into their pockets to replenish the cash hundreds of times over.

And Dale still insisted on replacing the £50 from his own pocket.

The total amount he has raised since he began collecting in 1977 years ago is now £308,388. He said: "It just proves every cloud has a silver lining."

He has since abandoned his bike and invested £450 in a 6mph electric mobility scooter.

He said: "It was taking me half an hour to walk from my home in Goodnestone Road to Roman Square where I do most of my collecting. Now I can get there in seven minutes which gives me more time for collecting."

The Air Ambulance and Demelza Hospice for Children will each get £5,000 but another 28 are in line to receive £100 each. He is posting the cheques this Friday so they arrive in good time for Christmas.

Dale added: "The public of Sittingbourne and Swale have been so generous again this year. I thank them for their help in making our community the best in Kent over the last 44 years that I have been collecting.

"Despite the children being away from school because of the pandemic they have always been polite and respectable. One girl aged about seven put her change from the sweet shop into my collecting box. I told her she had made a mistake because it was £1. But she said her mother had missed me on the Saturday and had asked her to put it in the box for her. I think that says it all. I was choked."

He added: "When you all sing Auld Lang Syne on New Year's Eve make sure you sing the line "a cup of kindness" really loud."

Where Dale sends your money

Demelza Hospice and the Air Ambulance Kent, Surrey and Sussex both get £5,000. £100 each goes to: 55 Fellowship; Age UK Faversham; Age UK Sittingbourne; Blind Fellowship; COGs Swale; Community Church, Sheerness; Faversham Lights Association; Freedom Centre, Sheerness.

Guide Dogs for the Blind; Holy Trinity church, Sittingbourne; Kent Association for the Disabled; Kent Autistic Trust; Swale Mayor and Mayoress Fund; Methodist church, Sittingbourne; MS Branch; Parkinson's disease; Royal British Legion, Royal Society of St George, RSSG.

Salvation Army, Sittingbourne; Sittingbourne Carnival Association; Sittingbourne Lights Association; St Bartholomew's church, Bobbing; St Mary's church, Teynham; St Michael's church, Sittingbourne; Strode church Sittingbourne and Tunstall church.