THERE was a warm welcome for visitors to the home of a Radcliffe couple, when they declared their house open to the public.

Sylvia and Brian Higginbottom, of School Street, are both wheelchair users and have cared for each other for the last 13 years.

They decided to hold an open day at their bungalow on Monday (June 11), as part of National Carers Week, to mark their appreciation for the Bury Crossroads Care Scheme which provides support for carers and the cared for.

A tombola and raffle draw were held, with refreshments of tea and scones laid on for guests, and an opportunity for those with an interest in care schemes to chat. Sylvia (66), who is a regular fund-raiser for the charity, said: "Lots of people enjoyed their drinks and scones and had a good natter. It was just the way I'd planned.

"Brian and I are quite different in that we both care for each other, and we get a care worker each from Bury Crossroads.

"They're a grand bunch of men and women, every one of them is worth their weight in gold.

"They're absolutely priceless because without them we wouldn't be able to go shopping properly and it's so nice to have someone come and ask us where we'd like to go."

A total of £80 was raised on the day, with the raffle, for which tickets had been sold earlier, raising a further £350.

All of the proceeds will be donated to Bury Crossroads, which offers more than 20,000 hours of respite care each year to more than 130 families in the Bury area.