The Original Factory Shop's Rustington manager is going to jail – all in the name of charity

Mike Bailey, store manager at the shop in Churchill Parade, will be locked up for the day on Saturday, March 18, and bail has been set at £500.

Colleagues have made the cardboard jail and Mike will try to secure his release by raising money for his chosen charity through donations from friends and family, as well as collections from customers and passers-by on the day.

But as he bids for his release, his team will be working to keep him behind bars for as long as possible, adding to the charity coffers.

For each £25, the team secures, Mike will have to stay in jail for an hour, regardless of whether he reaches his bail. Event host Danny Miles will be joining the team to carry out bucket collections, a bake sale and a tombola to help them raise money.

Jenny Freeman, Wadars fundraising manager, said: "We are incredibly grateful to Mike and his team for their amazing support and would encourage people to pop into The Original Factory Shop in Churchill Parade, Rustington, between 9.30am and 5pm on Saturday, March 18, to join in the fun.

"While Mike is a lovely man and very supportive of our work, I’d be quite happy for him to remain in jail for several hours if it means that more money is raised to help us continue our work!”

The event is being staged as part of the shop’s ongoing support for Wadars, which has included awareness raising sessions and bucket collections. Funds have also been collected by customers scanning an app or card for the TOFS Club, which automatically raises funds for Wadars every time they spend in store.

Jenny said all the money raised through the efforts of Mike and his team will be helping Wadars to provide care for the hundreds of pets needing new homes and thousands of wildlife casualties that the charity deals with every year.