A bingo session is being arranged in memory of local musician who helped raise more than £30,000 for charity. Iris Dolling is hosting the fundraising session as a tribute to her late husband, Bill Towns, who died in May after a three-year battle with lung cancer.

With help from friends Sandra and Trevor Phillips, the couple used to hold bingo events each year at Burton Town Hall raising more then £30,000 for Midlands Air Ambulance.

This year’s event on Tuesday 22nd November will be ‘in memory of Bill and an extra special occasion’ Iris told a local paper.

She added: “Bill has always been involved in the fund-raising events from day one, so this year it’s going to be hard without him.

“I will get through it somehow and there are always plenty of jolly people to keep me on form.

“His baby at the events was the tombola.

He used to love taking charge of that.

“Every year, Bill used to ask us to do a ploughman’s supper instead of sandwiches and we never used to as it’s a lot of work, but this time to make it extra special and in his memory we will be putting it on.”

Mr Towns, who moved to Burton in 1966 and taught himself to play the clarinet, played in jazz dance bands The Belvoir Quartet and The Trentones. He also featured in the Likely Lads band at the Old Hospital Club.

Doors open for the bingo event on Tuesday 22nd November at 5.45pm with bingo starting at 7pm. The cost is just £1 per person plus the opportunity to purchase additional raffle tickets.