THE Daily Echo was among the places laden with cake and awash with coffee in celebration of the World’s Biggest Coffee morning.

Staff and friends came together to bake delicious treats to raise funds for Macmillan Cancer Support.

Debi Thorne, display sales manager at the Daily Echo, organised the paper’s contribution to the appeal in memory of her husband Larry who lost his battle with cancer in November aged 54, and the former Echo editor Neal Butterworth, who died earlier this year. She said: “This morning is for everyone who has been touched by cancer.”

Generous supporters and local businesses also dug deep to donate a fantastic array of prizes for a raffle which included paintballing, MOTs, champagne and beauty vouchers.

Debi added: “I would like to thank all the local businesses who have donated some fantastic prizes. I was hoping to raise £500 but think we’ll get closer to £1,000.”

A series of events were held around the area for Macmillan.

Pupils from Buckholme Towers in Poole became judges for the day as they tested the cake creations of residents at Churchill Retirement Living’s Dean Lodge development in Southbourne.

Pupils from year five used their senses to look, taste, smell and feel each cake before declaring Eunice Sutherland the winner with her chocolate cream cake.

The Big Little Bake Off marked the start of a series of coffee mornings the firm plans to stage in the coming months