PRESSURE on B&Q from outraged residents in Melksham has led the firm to make an £8,000 donation after it used Longford Road’s charity Christmas lights display to promote its own products. 

The DIY giant used the image as part of an online advertisement competition run in the Daily Mirror, encouraging people to buy lights from the store. 

The Goodhind family, who create the charity display at their house in Longford Road for Dorothy House Hospice, were not approached by B&Q, so contacted the firm to say they had not given permission for their image to be used.

They felt it suggested their lights had been bought from B&Q, when they were donated by local businesses. 

A donation was asked in return, but the firm declined, so the family turned to social media and an online petition was set up on Sunday urging the store to make a donation towards the charity. Thousands of signatures were gathered in less than 24 hours. 

Colin Goodhind designed the Christmas light display with son Alex. He said: “We’re very pleased that B&Q made the donation, we are obviously disappointed that it took the petition to achieve that. At the end of the day it’s a good result and Dorothy House will benefit and that is what it is all about.” 

On Tuesday when the Daily Mirror also promised the family it would be donating £1,000, Mr Goodhind added: “We are grateful. It is promoting B&Q so we are grateful that B&Q made a substantial donation and we don’t think we can ask any more from the Daily Mirror.”

The picture has since being removed from the article online and a spokesman for B&Q said the money was a charitable donation and not payment for use of the image.

They understood the Daily Mirror to have obtained it from an image library which granted free unrestricted use in publications. 

They said: “As you know today [Monday] B&Q donated £8,000 to the Longford Road Christmas Appeal for the Dorothy House Foundation with our very best wishes. 

“Melksham’s festive display is absolutely magnificent which is why we believe the Daily Mirror decided to use it in their Christmas feature article that B&Q has sponsored. We have also asked the newspaper to consider making a donation to the appeal as well.”

Wiltshire councillor Jon Hubbard, who set up the petition, is hoping it is the start of more donations from B&Q, he said: “It was shocking and sad to see a multinational corporation using this for commercial gain.

 “I hope that they will listen to all that the people have called for and fully match the contributions made by the public and not limit their giving to the initial payment that they have made.”