HUNDREDS of handbags have been sold in a pop-up shop at the Designer Outlet this weekend to raise money for Brighter Futures.

More than 350 people donated their handbags for a special amnesty in aid of the GWH charity.

The shop is open today from 10am to 5pm.

The money went towards general funds, while £10 teddy bears were sold for the Special Care Baby Unit appeal and calendars were sold for the Radiotherapy Unit appeal.

Anne Norman and Catherine Newman from Brighter Futures oversaw the shopkeeping.

Anne said: "We're going through bags at a rate of knots.

"It's been great, people have been so generous to donate this much and the shop's been full of people who want to support the hospital.

"The outlet have been fantastic, they did all the publicity and the signs, which has helped massively."

Customers also bought thousands of tickets for a raffle with a top prize of a £900 Mulberry handbag, donated by the outlet, and a second-place Osprey handbag donated by the retailer.

Nicola Ferguson, the outlet's marketing manager, said: "We were looking to make a long-term partnership with a local charity.

"Brighter Futures touches a lot of our customers and shop staff and we wanted to do something that would make a real difference.

"We're hoping to make this an annual event, fingers crossed."