WAR veterans have seen a record-breaking Poppy Appeal collection this year against all the expectations of Kidderminster organisers.

Despite floods and bad weather in the first two weeks of November, shoppers in the town centre and people in Cookley and Wolverley were digging deep in their pockets to put £13,150 into collection boxes - nearly £1,000 up on last year's record.

Kidderminster branch organiser Stephen Bateman said: "We were staggered by this, all the more so because this was after three collection boxes - including one from a supermarket that would have been quite full - were stolen. People were immensely generous."

The branch has become accustomed to losing one box a year to thieves but this year's losses, also from a newsagent and a garage, was described as "saddening" but possibly linked.

Mr Bateman said he could not put down the success of the appeal to any special reason although he believed it was helped by holding three collections in the Rowland Hill Centre instead of the single Saturday collection as in previous years.

Collection organiser Stan Voss was helped by up to 30 volunteer army and air cadet collectors and also by Wyre Forest MP David Lock and Kidderminster mayor Nigel Knowles.

Mr Bateman said: "We would like to thank all those who donated and we must also say a special thank-you to the collectors."