A FRIENDLY dinosaur mascot surprised Matalan shoppers when he popped in to do a shift on the tills.

The NPSCC's Pantosaurus is part of the charity's Talk PANTS campaign which gives parents an easy way to talk to their little ones about sexual abuse in an appropriate way.

Pantosaurus told parents in the Greenbridge shop about the acronym PANTS: Privates are private, Always remember your body belongs to you, No means no, Talk about secrets that upset you, Speak up and someone can help.

Matalan are selling an exclusive Pantosaurus keyring for £1.50, with all proceeds going to the NSPCC.

Steve Nutt from the NSPCC said: “We are very grateful to Matalan for the continued support they have shown us. Our Talk PANTS campaign has benefitted hugely from their help, and we hope we can continue to make a difference to children’s lives across the country.”

More than 600,000 parents have had conversations with their children as a result of the campaign.

Swindon Matalan manager for Swindon Jo Sole said: “It was great to have Pantosaurus helping out in the store. Our staff and customers love the character and I’m delighted that Matalan is supporting this important campaign.”