TWO brothers who have raised almost £30,000 for the East Lancashire Hospice have received a special Royal address.

Tom and Jack Mayoh from Darwen were thrilled when they opened a letter addressed to them both and found it was from none other than Her Majesty the Queen.

The boys, who began raising money for the hospice after their mum, Louise died of cancer last year, wrote to the Queen in February to ask if she would sponsor them and to ask if they could meet her on their trip to London.

When they hadn't heard anything, the siblings thought she wouldn't respond at all, but then in June, the special enveloper arrived.

The boys' dad, Gareth Mayoh, said: "Jake Berry actually wrote to them to tell them what they were doing was brilliant.

"They wrote back and asked if they could have a look round the Houses of Parliament, and then they had the idea of writing to the Queen to see if she would reply.

"For months they heard nothing but then the letter turned up in June.

"The Queen had been told about what Jack and Tom have been doing and she put two postcards in for them and offered them good luck for the future; it's a really personal letter too so we think she's taken some time to reply to this.

"They were over the moon and they were both ecstatic about it, for them this was a really important thing.

"I think in their original letter they'd even asked her to sponsor them and included the link, although I don't think she has done."

The East Lancashire Hospice cared for the boys' mum in the final days of her life and Income Generation Lead at the hospice, Sharon Crymble, said they are extremely proud of what the boys have done.

She said: "All the way along we've been so amazed with their fundraising efforts.

"But not only that, the boys have been telling people what a difference the hospice makes in people's lives.

"We're delighted they've been recognised in this way."