PANTO actors jumped into bed with a much-loved hospice after a confession from one of its leading stars.

Carry On and Confessions film star Robin Askwith visited St Teresa’s Hospice’s St T’s Superstore, to show his support after the charity provided him with a single bed for his dressing room during his six-week stint in the pantomime Aladdin, which has just finished at the town’s Hippodrome.

The Superstore, on McMullen Road, Darlington, helps fund the work of St Teresa’s Hospice, which provides free care and support for residents of Darlington, South West Durham and North-Yorkshire who are affected by life-limiting illness.

“I have to confess that doing two shows a day, seven days a week, took it out of me and I needed a bed to have a lie down to help recharge my energy levels in-between shows,” said Mr Askwith.

“We started at 12 noon and didn’t finish until 10pm so it was a long day and my dressing room became a bit like my home.

“St Teresa’s were great at helping source me a single bed and delivering it to the theatre too and it’s a pleasure to come along with the rest of the cast today to thank them and show our support for the charity and the incredible work they do.”

Mr Askwith, who played the evil pantomime villain Abanazar, was accompanied to St T’s Superstore by fellow panto stars Zoe Birkett, Louie Spence, Eric Potts, Liam Mellor and Carl Douglas.

St Teresa’s shop team leader Yvonne Macdonald said: “We have requests all the time from film, TV and theatre productions sourcing props and looking for special, one-off items.

“Only the other week our shop on High Row, Darlington, sold a number of items of furniture to a film company, to which our staff were sworn to secrecy over the use, before they were then re-donated back to us to sell again.

“We get a lot of period items donated as well as everyday household furniture and decorative pieces making our shop a real Aladdin’s cave of treasures.

"It was great to be able to help out one of the town’s panto stars and their donation will go towards helping the work that we do at St Teresa’s.”

For more information on general donations of goods to the charity, contact the St Teresa's Distribution Centre on 01325-488701, 9am to 5pm on weekdays.