Weeks after launching an appeal for towels to help seals, the RSPCA's East Winch Wildlife Centre has been inundated in donations from animal lovers.

As they now have enough towels to last them for some time, centre staff have decided to call a halt to the appeal as the storage areas are now all full.

Centre manager Alison Charles said: 'Despite being donated thousands of towels over the years, we always find there comes a point when we are running low.

'Yet as soon as we send out an SOS for help - the public never fail to deliver. Once again after a desperate appeal we now find we have an amazing stock.

'Scores of businesses, local people and many further afield sent us towels and it is heartwarming to see. Saying thank you never really seems to do it justice, we are overwhelmed by the wonderful response we have received.

'We even had one local laundry company send us a huge delivery of towels for which we are so grateful.'

The appeal was launched after staff found they were running low as they were caring for 15 common seals in the intensive care unit.

Each seal was being fed five times a day, and fresh towels were needed every time - so staff found they were getting through up to 75 towels a day.

And with around 460 other animals currently in care needing towels on a regular basis, the towel store was almost empty despite washing and reusing as many towels as possible.

The towels help to provide much-needed warmth for the seal pups, but also help other patients currently being cared for at the centre.