COLCHESTER’S contribution to the Poppy appeal has topped £50,000 for the first time.

Three collections for the Royal British Legion, linked to the Mercury Theatre’s staging of Spike Milligan’s Adolf Hitler: My Part in his Downfall, sent the annual total past the milestone.

A street collection with cast members in Lion Walk shopping centre on Tuesday, May 4, and collections at performances the following Friday and Saturday raised £391, taking the current total to £50,069.

Appeal co-ordinator Barney Loughran said: “This is the first time we’ve raised more than £50,000 in Colchester, which is great.

“It shows how much support there is in the town for the legion and our soldiers, and I’d like to thank the Mercury and Lion Walk for helping us reach this figure.

“The appeal runs from September to the following August, not just the few weeks around Remembrance Sunday, so with a few months to go, we should be able to push that total up a little bit.”

Mr Loughran, who served for 22 years in the King’s Own Scottish Borderers, is stepping down from running the appeal next month.

He is a keen supporter of the £5million personnel recovery centre, due to open at Colchester Garrison next year. It allow as many as 20 servicemen and women to live there while they complete their recovery, with capacity for a further 40 to visit and for families to stay.

Mr Loughran, 67, said “a large chunk” of money raised in Colchester supported soldiers and veterans in the town.

“The recovery centre, which the legion is going to help run and fund, will mean more coming back to Colchester,” he said.

“It will be a fantastic facility for our wounded soldiers and will give people a chance to see the fruits of their generosity.”

The centre is being built with money raised by Help for Heroes and will be jointly run by the Army and the legion.