A two-day Christmas market featuring TV star Pam St Clement at the weekend raised thousands of pounds for charity.

Visitors flocked to the Hearing Dogs for Deaf People’s Christmas market on Saturday and Sunday to watch EastEnders' Pat Butcher open the festive event before posing for selfies and getting cuddles from four-legged friends.

The Saunderton-based charity opened its doors to Christmas shoppers and dog-lovers for two days of festive fun, selling more than 1,600 tickets and raising more than £16,000 to help train more hearing dogs.

Visitors were greeted with a glass of warm mulled punch to fend off the wintry weather before enjoying stalls filled with hand-crafted gifts and food.

There were hearing dogs and pups in training, and Santa also stopped by with his elves and rein-dogs, plus a sack full of paw-some presents for young children.

John Corteen, 83, from Prestwood, who has a hearing dog – Penny – said: “My deafness is hereditary – my mother was also deaf.

“I have been wearing hearing aids for 50 years but I never hear smoke alarms or the doorbell.

“Even if I stand directly underneath a smoke alarm, I hear nothing. It was very frightening.

“I have had my hearing dog Penny for two years now. She has made such a big difference to my life.

“She acts as my alarm clock – and jumps on my bed in the morning to wake me up.

“The biggest difference Penny has made is the smoke alarm, I no longer have to worry I will miss this danger signal as she will alert me.

“It’s a huge relief to know she is by my side.

“Penny is an amazing hearing dog – she loves people and is very friendly.

“When she is with me, people talk to me about the work she does. I would be lost without her.”

Hearing Dogs' national events manager, Melanie Preskett, said: “We were delighted to welcome so many supporters and members of the public to The Grange over the weekend.

“We would like to thank everybody who helped to make the event such a huge success, and particularly our celebrity ambassador Pam St Clement, who we were delighted to welcome back and who opened the market on Saturday .

“All funds raised from the Christmas Market will help Hearing Dogs for Deaf People train more life-changing hearing dogs to change the lives of people who suffer with hearing loss.”