SEVEN-year-old twins Olivia and Lauren Bocking turned their backs on sweets and toys for a year to support emergency medical charity, Magpas.

Shortly after the girls turned six, they decided to save a year’s worth of pocket money to help the charity that came to their father’s aid in 1996, when he was thrown from his motorbike after a car crashed into him near Woodhurst.

Lauren said they came up with the idea together to “help Magpas save lots more lives”.

Olivia added: “If it wasn’t for Magpas, maybe lots of people wouldn’t have their friends and family. It’s very special that Magpas is here.”

The twins, of Coniston Close, Stukeley Meadows, said that they chose to save the money rather than spend it on Sylvanian Families and Build-a-Bear accessories.

They raised £104 from their pocket money and threw in an extra £10 that they were given the night before.

They will be back in fundraising mode again when they help their mother Louise run a stall at the Snowdrop Run at Wimpole Hall later this month.

David Bocking said: “I’m very proud of the girls. They seem to understand the importance of it all. It’s laughable how good they are at fundraising.

“When Louise cycled 600 miles for Magpas, they went around Lincoln and put stickers on people saying ‘you don’t have to donate but they saved daddy’s life’. They raised around £80 on that day.

Daryl Brown, Magpas chief executive, said: “The girls have been a breath of fresh air with some innovative ways of raising money for us.”