A couple from Trowbridge has raised over £400 for the NHS by dressing up as gnomes.

Residents at Trowbridge Lodge Park Richard, 71 and Julia Bartlett, 70, raised the money by dressing up after receiving a dare from a neighbour.

Starting at 10am, the couple said that between 50 and 60 people came by during the course of their four-hour shift as gnomes.

Richard Bartlett said: “We have gnomes in the garden, rather large ones and it’s always been a sort of joke around us about these gnomes.

“Our neighbour challenged the wife to dress up as a gnome and it escalated from there.

“We thought, ‘if we’re going to dress up as gnomes, let’s try and make some money for a cause’.”

Joined by their garden friends, Richard and Julia also set up signs around the grassy verge reminding people donating to keep to social distancing.

Richard said that all of his fellow residents enjoyed the fundraising dress up, with some even donning costumes of their own: “Those that turned up thoroughly enjoyed it and we had a bit of banter going off.

“There were two others dressed at gnomes, but they turned up for ten minutes and left. It wasn’t obligatory to dress as a gnome though.” he laughed.

“As long as it puts a smile on someone’s face it’s worth doing, plus we got some money for the NHS, which all helps.”