CUSTOMERS from a Bournemouth supermarket have donated over 180 chocolate Easter eggs to the town's underprivileged children.

Alix Farenden, who runs Ashley's Birthday Bank, aimed to collect a total of 100 chocolate treats for kids who would otherwise not receive something this Easter Sunday, April 5.

She appealed for the public's help on Facebook and Ben Horgan, community life champion for Asda in Bournemouth, decided to get his store on Saint Paul's Road involved, with customers giving up until March 30.

Now Alix has over 350 Easter egg donations, with 186 from Asda shoppers and the rest from other members of the public to hand over to Bournemouth and Poole Women's Refuges, a human trafficking support service and families affected by domestic violence.

She said: "I am so grateful to Ben for allowing us to do this and to everyone who donated an Easter egg.

"Even a small thing such as this can really help to brighten the day of an underprivileged child.

"We also had a very kind anonymous donation of £100, so if we have more requests for Easter eggs and we have a shortfall, then we can go out and buy them.

"We would also like to thank StylistiX on Hill View Road in Redhill for being a drop-off point for the Easter eggs right up until Good Friday."

Alix said that she originally aimed to collect 50 Easter eggs, but as demand grew from local charities and schools with underprivileged children in their care, she decided to aim even higher. However she said that she could never have imagined such an overwhelming response to the appeal.

Ben Horgan, community life champion for Asda in Bournemouth, said: "I am really pleased with how the store has got behind the Easter egg appeal and how my colleagues have pushed it.

"We have been telling customers about it over the tannoy and I have continued to empty the donations trolley so that people could put more in there.

"It has been really great and even my colleagues have been buying Easter eggs to donate to the appeal."

Alix founded Ashley's Birthday Bank in December 2014 with the aim of helping underprivileged children and young people after donating to her local crisis centre at Christmas.

She collects donations of new food, toys and clothes from the public and local businesses which are then given to those in need, as a treat for a child's birthday, Christmas or another special occasion.

The cause also offers a Mini Crisis Service to children and babies in need of clothes, nappies, baby equipment and toiletries.

For more information, go to Facebook.com/ashleysbirthdaybank