MEMBERS of the public are invited to get a slice of fundraising action by guessing the weight of a special Christmas cake.

Councillor Anita Husband, the mayor of Barrow, is asking residents to take part in a competition after huge, hand-decorated cake featuring the borough's coat of arms was donated to her.

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The cake, which is 36cm long, 26.5cm wide and 8cm deep, will be donated to the Salvation Army but the person who guesses closest to the cake's weight will receive half of the funds collected in the competition.

The other half will go to the mayor's chosen charities of the year - the Barrow branches of the Royal British Legion and the RNLI, the Barrow and District Disability Association and the North West Air Ambulance Service.

Cllr Husband said: "My brother-in-law made the cake. I thought it would be a little family cake but the size of it is beautiful.

"I think there are 180 pieces that you can cut out of it. I thought, rather than raffle it off to someone, as it might just go to a person on their own, that it could be donated to a group like the Salvation Army."

To guess the weight in kilogrammes, participants can complete a slip and pay £1 at Barrow Town Hall, The Forum, the Evening Mail offices in Abbey Road, Barrow Market, or the Spar and Post Office in Mill Lane, Walney.

Entries must be received by December 19.