A ZOO visitor has handed a £420 cheque to Colchester Zoo after starting a fundraising page to help to save the facility from closure.

Leanne Mcburney, 40, of Fronks Road, Dovercourt, started a GoFundMe page setting a target of £1,000 after the popular attraction was closed as nationwide lockdown measures came into force.

The closure has put immense financial strain on the zoo as it faced bills of £25,000 per day to feed and care for its hundreds of species.

The mum-of-three said she was happy to raise the money for the zoo which she had visited since she was a child.

She said: “I’d like to thank everyone who donated, it means the world to me.

“Both me and my children love the zoo.

“It would have been a shame to have it shut, but I’m pleased it’s up and running.”

The zoo is now re-open but with social distancing guidelines in place.