A FLINTSHIRE couple selling ice cream from their driveway have raised hundreds of pounds for the NHS.

Jane and Phil Elliot, best known locally for their ice cream van service of 12 years, had to put their business on hold due to coronavirus.

However, they decided they wanted to do something to help say thank you to the NHS, that they say saved their lives.

The couple parked their ice cream van on their driveway in Queensferry and posted on social media that they were giving out ice cream trays – whilst adhering to social distancing - in exchange for a donation in their bucket that would be split between the Countess of Chester and Wrexham Maelor Hospital’s.

Now, they announced they have raised almost £1,000.

Jane said: "We are thrilled to bits to tell you the total raised so far after a week of the Take Away ice cream tray service is a fantastic £970.

"What a fantastic community we have, thank you so much and let's keep the ball rolling for our fantastic NHS.

"All day every day even in the rain...its never too cold for ice cream."

Jane Elliot said the Countess of Chester Hospital has been there to help the couple in their hours of need.

She said the hospital saved her sight for which she is ‘forever grateful’ and also saved Phil's life only six weeks ago.

She previously told the Leader: “Phil had a life-threatening condition, they caught it in time and went above and beyond to make him better. I have been visiting the eye clinic for two years with corneal decompensation and cataracts, saving my sight with a corneal graft.

“The hospital has got us both through a truly terrible time and we will never be able to repay them.

“We have visited twice, once last year on the hottest day of the year and gave free ice cream to all the A&E staff then went again to the children’s ward in September to donate free ice cream to the staff and children.

“This is our attempt to let them know how wonderful they are here and all over the country. A simple thank you just isn’t enough, we would all be lost without them.”

Trays were made up in advance and placed in a freezer outside Jane and Phil’s front door. They also had surplus ice cream cones in boxes of 800 that were being sold for £8 a box as the stock was not being used as part of their business.