Every time you see the Mayor of Epsom and Ewell you should give her a 50 pence piece.

It's not a new way of collecting taxes but a novel idea from her worshipfulness to raise some cash for charity.

Councillor Sheila Carlson, who became the Mayor of Epsom and Ewell in May, is championing the 50p pledge for people in the borough, asking them to hand over the money if they see her around the town.

The mayor wants everyone in the borough to dig into their pockets or look down the back of the sofa and give her just one coin to help raise thousands of pounds for her nominated charities.

Her pledge begins now and she is hoping by the end of her term as mayor next May they will have raised the money to help her charities.

Coun Carlson said: "It just started off as a silly little idea of mine but I was working out that if we have 70,000 residents, if every one gave me 50p, which isn't a great sum of money, we could make £35,000, which is twice the amount mayors' have been making in the last few years.

"If I could persuade everybody to give me 50p then we really would have a big sum of money to give to local charities."

Her nominated charities are the Citizen's Advice Bureau, the medical equipment fund at Epsom General Hospital and a new mental health charity called Love Me, Love My Mind.

The money raised would go towards an osteoporosis machine at Epsom General Hospital, a new Citizen's advice centre in Epsom and to help with the start up costs of Love Me, Love My Mind.

She added: "We are out and about all the time so people can just hand it to me. Or if people want they can go into the town hall or give it to their councillor.

"This is an easy way for all of the residents to come out and raise money for the borough and for some very local charities."