THE Vale Wildlife Rescue Centre has been saved from closure by two mystery good samaritans.

An investment banker and a fundraiser have stepped in to provide financial advice to the centre, which needs £40,000 to survive through the summer.

Bosses at the centre in Beckford warned last autumn that the centre would close unless more money was found.

Their new hospital proved to be a major financial setback, costing £230,000 compared to the expected £165,000.

Then the investment banker from London, whose mother lives in Gloucestershire, and the fundraiser from Stow-on-the-Wold approached the centre directly to offer help.

The banker is drawing up a business plan to help the centre run along more commercial lines and the fundraiser, who used to work for a national cancer charity, is helping the centre generate regular revenue.

Centre manager Caroline Gould said it was still early days but she has been meeting with the fundraiser every week to discuss the way forward and avoid financial trouble.

"Funding gets more and more difficult.

"The bigger we get the more it costs to keep us running," she said.

The centre, which was founded in 1984, has seven full-time staff and costs up to £10,000 a month to run.

It has received £11,000 in donations this year from individuals and businesses and received £6,000 in one week before Christmas to help save it from closure.