THE Drunken Monkey rock festival, held on the first weekend of August, has donated £14,000 to the Midlands Air Ambulance Charity.

The festival, now in its sixth year, is organised in memory of Ian Downton, who was killed in a car crash.

His closest friends have worked together to make the rock festival weekend a fun and enjoyable event showcasing Mr Downton's favourite type of rock music on two stages.

This year’s festival marks ten years since Mr Downton's death, and was the most successful to date attracting hundreds of people to the site in Welland, just outside Upton.

In the six years that the festival has been running, donations have totalled £45,000.

This year’s donation was handed to Charley Burke, Worcestershire fundraising executive for Midlands Air Ambulance Charity, who said: "This is a terrific donation, and is testament to the hard work and support provided by all those who make Drunken Monkey such a fantastic event.

"Midlands Air Ambulance Charity wouldn’t be able to operate without the support of the public and local businesses, and this donation will fund five lifesaving missions, as well as medical supplies used by our aircrews.”