PARENTS at South Hills Nursery in Corsham got their knitting needles into gear this month to help create around 200 hats for the Bath RUH baby bobble hat appeal.

Tina Thomson, manager of the nursery, asked parents to help create 50 hats, which have a green, amber or red bobble on the top to signify to hospital staff what sort of care the babies need, in time for Christmas but was blown away by the amount made.

She said: "It was one of those things where I saw it on TV and thought it would be nice if we could give something back so I threw it out to the parents by publishing it in the nursery newsletter with the goal of knitting 50 by Christmas and the parents of the nursery and of the school next door took it and ran with it.

"It has been really heartwarming to see actually and I have been totally blown away by the response, especially at this time of year when people are very busy.

"I know that the hospital has received lots of these but I hope that they will go a long way to helping a baby recieve the care that they need to get a good start in life. It is such a worthwhile cause and if anyone wants to knit a hat and is not part of the nursery, I am happy to keep collecting them and taking them to the hospital myself."