MUSIC-mad Dan Reddington of Reddington’s Rare Records has donated a huge collection of rare musical numbers to charity.

Based in Redditch, Dan’s store is closing so that he can spend more time with his family – but with hundreds of thousands of records remaining in his massive archive, finding new homes for his prized articles has proven to be challenge.

A mass sale from his choc-a-block premises saw collectors from around the country snap up a bargain with vinyl records selling for just £1 each.

Now, with the sale coming to its end, Dan has decided to donate 5,000 of his treasure trove to the Midlands Air Ambulance Charity, where his niece Jo Bailey is a fundraising manager.

With some fantastic titles still among this batch, the charity will sell the wide-ranging series of records from its high street shops.

The charity’s fundraising and marketing director, Jason Levy said: “As a charity we receive a fantastic amount of very generous donations every year but this is certainly one of the more unique.

“Some of the items Dan had started selling off for £1 are worth hundreds, so it speaks volumes of his generosity that he’s chosen to donate 5,000 to us, and we’re extremely grateful for that.”

Dan, who’d previously been based in Birmingham and whose vast library of iconic titles ranged from Elvis to Queen with regular sales to Japan and Russia, added: “I’d been collecting and selling records for more than 50 years and it really was a hobby that I was fortunate enough to be able to make my job.

“I’m still very passionate about music but now is the right time to wind things down.

"I couldn’t think of a better cause to donate records to than the Midlands Air Ambulance Charity and I’m sure there are still one or two real finds to be had – I really hope collectors can support the charity by having a look for that hidden gem."

Anyone keen to discover more about the life saving work of the Midlands Air Ambulance Charity can visit midlandsairambulance.com.

For more information on Reddington's Rare Records, visit reddingtonsrarerecords.co.uk.