A BUSINESSMAN and horse trainer has donated £8,500 to charity after a fundraising 70th birthday party.

John Wade held the event at his home at Howe Hills, near Sedgefield, County Durham, with a raffle and auction raising money for the Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS).

Mr Wade owns and runs John Wade Group Ltd, which specialises in waste collection, plant hire, recycling and aggregates from its base at Aycliffe Quarry, Aycliffe Village.

When not at the quarry, Mr Wade trains a string of racehorses which compete around the country.

He has been a long-term supporter of GNAAS, and was keen to help the charity with his landmark celebration.

He said: “It was a great party, everybody was very generous and I’d like to thank everyone for coming and donating money to the air ambulance. Any one of us might have to call on its services someday.”

Mandy Drake, head of fundraising at GNAAS, said: “Not for the first time, John has come through for the charity. We would like to thank him for this incredible donation, and everyone who helped him raise the money.”