GUIDES in Trowbridge are knocking back fizzy drinks and canned food to help raise money for new camping equipment.

Trowbridge 6th Guides (St Thomas) are collecting aluminium cans to trade for cash, making their first £23 on Monday.

Money raised will be used to buy new patrol tents and cooking equipment in time for the summer camping season.

Guides have been collecting up cans since Christmas, managing to amass a total of 53kg, which they took to Shanley's scrapyard in Shails Lane.

Brenda James, a trainee assistant for the Guides, said the girls were keen to keep collecting, with other fundraising plans in the pipeline.

"They were really pleased to raise some money and get the fund going," she said.

"We had a meeting this week and told them all to keep collecting and have given them all magnets so they collect the right type of cans.

"We have a few tents but we have to borrow bigger patrol tents for the girls. It would be nice to buy our own.

"We will need to raise a lot of money as a patrol tent can costs as much as £300."

Other fundraising events are planned for the spring, but in the meantime the guides are hoping to build-up another stockpile of cans to trade-in for pounds.