A GENEROUS scrap yard owner's offer to donate thousands of pounds to Wincham will help keep the village in tip-top condition.

The company, WR Roberts and Sons, has been in the village for more than 30 years and owns a car park used by football fans at Witton Albion.

By charging £1 to each car using the car park they plan to raise between two and five thousand pounds a season, which will be put in a holding fund.

The parish council will be able to suggest how the money can be usefully spent.

Roy Mainwaring, chairman of Wincham Parish Council, said: "They said to me, if there's anything you want for playing fields or anything, just tell us and we'll buy it out of the holding fund.

"That sort of generosity doesn't happen very often these days and it's a real partnership with a company that has the interest of the community at its heart."

Mike Roberts, aged 34, co-partner of the company that was started by his grandfather 50 years ago, said the three current partners - his brother Steven, Julian Jackson and himself - wanted to give something back to the community that has lived with their scrap metal company for so long.

He said: "The community puts up with our business, which isn't very environmentally friendly, so it's nice to give something back where we can.

"All the takings from the car park, except for what we need to pay someone to collect the money, will go into the holding fund for community projects."

ecummins@guardiangrp.co.uk