By David Williams

A COLOSSAL £90,000 was raised by the Globe-backed 'Light Up a Life For a Loved One' appeal at St John's Hospice in Wirral.

Delighted hospice officials revealed the final amount this week. It means that for the ninth successive year since it started, the annual appeal has broken new ground.

Fundraising manager Lesley Woodhead, who took up her post just in time to take charge of the huge fund-raising event, said: "We are all absolutely thrilled to bits - the Wirral public, and in particular Globe readers, have once again shown their support for St John's.

"£90,000 is an unbelievable total - it is enough to keep the hospice doors open for three weeks."

Each week in November, the Globe published a coupon for readers to complete in order to sponsor a light for someone special.

The lights were switched on at a moving open air carol service at the Clatterbridge-based hospice in December.