A WIRRAL woman whose hand-knitted poppies raised more than £600 for Merseyside Police's Mounted Section will today be given a warm welcome by the horses and staff during a special visit.

Julie Wallace, 63, and husband Mark, 50, have raised £615 for the Stand Tall foundation, through sales of Julie's poppies and Mark's football scratch cards.

Between October and November last year, Julie dedicated hours of her own time to knit and sell 300 poppies at four locations across Wirral.

The purple poppy is a symbol of remembrance for animals that served during wartime, and Julie thought it would be a fitting tribute to donate the money to the Stand Tall foundation.

Today Julie is set to attend the stables at Mather Avenue in Liverpool to donate her collection and meet the horses.

Stable manager, Lindsay Gaven said: "We are all incredibly grateful for Julie's hard work and her thoughtful gesture and it will be an absolute pleasure to welcome her to the stables today.

"Julie and her husband have both given up their own time to raise money for the Stand Tall Foundation, which pays for the upkeep costs of the horses, including vets fees, feed, saddlery, farriers and transport.

"The Foundation relies solely on corporate sponsorship and public donations, so Julie's efforts as our only public fundraiser are so appreciated and we can't thank her enough.

"We are passionate about our horses and know how loved and respected they are by our communities, and it is wonderful people like Julie that are making it possible for them to continue standing tall in Merseyside."

To read more about Merseyside Mounted Police, opportunities for sponsorship and how you can donate, visit: www.merseysidepolicemounted.uk.