PARENTS in Wharfedale and Aireborough are being asked to give away unwanted toys this Christmas.

The British Heart Foundation (BHF) is hoping people will adopt a ‘one in, one out’ strategy as they go about shopping for their families.

A survey commissioned by the charity, which has fundraising shops in Otley and Ilkley, shows that 51 per cent of parents find that their children can get bored of new gifts within just seven days.

It also reveals that one third of parents have thrown away toys that were in perfect working order - and could have raised vital funds for charity if they had been donated for re-sale.

The BHF is also hoping to encourage more people to have a Green Christmas by buying pre-loved items from their shops for as little as £1, while dropping off things that they don’t need at the same time.

Sustainability Manager at the BHF, David Roman, said: “These figures show just how quickly kids can lose interest in toys.

“As a parent I am all too familiar with the amount of clutter Christmas can generate.

“But shopping second-hand and donating as you go could help make space for festive gifts and find new homes for old favourites.

“Now, more than ever, it’s vital that we find ways to minimise waste and cut down on buying new items where possible.

“Second-hand toys are a great way to start and will help keep costs low when doing your Christmas shopping this year!”

Last year those who shopped in, or donated to, the charity’s shops helped it save 74,000 tonnes of goods - including everything from clothes and shoes to toys and books - from going to landfill.

All money raised at BHF shops from the sale of toys is used to support life-saving research into conditions such as heart attack, stroke and vascular dementia.

A spokesperson said: “Buying and donating from our shops will help the planet and help make Christmas wishes come true for the 670,000 people living with heart and circulatory diseases in Yorkshire and the Humber.”

Heart and circulatory diseases cause almost 170,000 deaths in the UK each year which is an average of 460 deaths per day - one every three minutes. To find out more about the BHF’s Christmas campaign visit www.bhf.org.uk/Christmas.