An appeal to raise £300,000 towards the opening of a new hospice has smashed through its target with four hours to go before the deadline.

Herriot Hospice Homecare launched a 36-hour appeal at 7am yesterday during which all donations would be doubled by generous match-funders.

The charity was hoping to raise £300,000 towards the multi-million pound cost of turning the old Lambert Hospital in Thirsk into an in-patient hospice - the final funding needed to hopefully open the doors this autumn.

Darlington and Stockton Times: The moment the appeal passed the £300,000 target

There are no hospice in-patient beds in Hambleton and Richmondshire, and as well as in-patient beds, the new centre would also provide bereavement counselling, and a community hub and cafe.

The charity hit the £300,000 mark just after 2.30pm, with four and a half hours to go before the doubling of the donations, thanks to match-funders, ends at 7pm tonight.

And Herriot Hospice has just revealed that "in response to the extraordinary surge of support from our community" the match funders have offered an extra £50,000.

This means it can increase its goal to £400,000, which together with the money raised and pledged to date will see the charity achieve all of the remaining funds for its capital appeal.