Longleat's sock appeal for chipmunks (From This Is Wiltshire)

They may not be the top of many people’s festive wish list, but keepers at Longleat Safari & Adventure Park really want socks for Christmas.

And staff at the Wiltshire attraction don’t even mind whether they’re odd or even single socks.

For the winter stockings are destined to be used as cosy sleeping quarters for their colony of chilly chipmunks.

Longleat Keeper Darren Beasley said: “As well as great places to snuggle up inside the chipmunks also use the socks as places to store their food.

“It may be a bit early to be starting to think about Christmas but we’re hoping people will be happy to find an alternative role for all those odd and unworn socks cluttering up their drawers.

“It’s difficult to think of many other uses for odd socks and donating them to our chipmunks would definitely mean they were going to a good home,” he added.