A New Haw hardware store has been given the prestigious Lenny Award by Comic Relief for its 15 years of fundraising for the charity.

Since their first Comic Relief event in 2009, Simon Hayes and his staff at Ron Hayes & Son have raised more than £10,000 and brought a host of famous faces to New Haw, including the Blues Brothers, Ghostbusters, The Flintstones and Batman and Robin.

Simon was presented with the award at the live Comic Relief TV broadcast with a tribute from Sir Lenny Henry.

“It was wonderful; me and my wife Julie were treated like royalty during the event,” Simon said.

“I was told four weeks earlier that we had won the award, which is decided by a Comic Relief committee from lots of nominations. I had to keep it a secret and was in the audience when the presenters AJ Odudu and Tom Allen introduced me and presented the award.

“Comic Relief supports so many great causes at home and abroad. We love being a part of that, we couldn't not; our customers now really look forward to it every year with everyone who comes into the shop talking about it.

“Our Red Nose Day fundraiser has become a real community thing which is a real joy, we have some laughs and raise some money for a great cause."

Simon and his team build the props for their fundraising, with a Tardis and Dalek for a Dr Who theme and the Trotters’ three-wheel van for the event in which Simon and a colleague dressed as Del Boy and Rodney in Batman and Robin costumes from a classic episode of Only Fools and Horses.

Simon and his father, former builders, started the business in 1997, taking over a shop on The Broadway that was built in 1937 as a DIY store.