THE annual pantomime staged by Thanet police has raised £6,000 for charity. Ali Baba and His Four and a Half Thieves broke the previous box office records of the last three annual pantos which are staged every January at Margate's Theatre Royal.

The money will be equally shared between the Pilgrim's Hospice in Margate and Demelza House Children’s Hospice in Sittingbourne.

PC Ken Pickett, who writes and produces the pantomimes, said: “Staging the panto was a brilliant team effort by everyone involved, both front and back stage and I’m very pleased to have topped last year’s total."

“We have already started work on next year’s production, Cinderella, with a bit of a twist. We have always been really well supported by our audiences and I hope just as many people will come and watch us perform in 2003."