A NEAR-FATAL accident has spurred on a Cinderford business to donate £1,500 to Midlands Air Ambulance.

BASF Metals Recycling, on Forest Vale Industrial Estate, held a charity auction back in August when it was suggested that they would do something to help support one of their colleagues, Debbie Telling whose nephew, Alex, was involved in a terrible accident in May.

Last Wednesday the Vice President of the catalyst business in BASF, Deon Carter, flew in from their head office in the States to present a cheque to Sofia Voutianitis from Midlands Air Ambulance.

HR manager Jenny Hudson said: "Debbie knows that without the help of the Midlands Air Ambulance that Alex would not be alive today. Tragically, we see and hear about a lot of road accidents in the Forest of Dean and, as a community, we rely on the air ambulance to assist in these times of great need."

The auction was also attended by the friends and families of staff at BASF Metals Recycling Ltd who enjoyed site manager Bob Smallwood, in the guise of TV presenter David Dickinson, conducting the auction.