PURPLE “critters” are appearing across the countryside to raise cash and awareness of a charity for seriously ill children.

The critters are appearing in fields as a result of a competition for farmers organised by Carrs Billington Agriculture to support national charity WellChild.

Farmers are being challenged to create the critters from silage bales wrapped in WellChild’s colour purple.

They can customise their bales with special sticker packs provided by Carrs Billington, and the iconic purple silage wrap has come from the Zeus Packaging Group.

Over the past two years Carrs Billington and its staff have donated more than £25,000 to WellChild with their purple bales campaigns.

WellChild chief executive Colin Dyer said: “This is the third year that we have been lucky enough to have the kind support of Carrs Billington and Zeus Packaging.

“The bale critters in WellChild purple will be a surprising and amusing sight in fields all over the UK and the money raised will help greatly with our work to support seriously ill children and their families.”

Farmers taking part in the competition can send in photos of their creations to be displayed on the WellChild and Carrs Billington Facebook pages.

The farmer whose critter display is judged the best will receive two tickets for the WellChild Awards 2018 which will take place at the Royal Lancaster Hotel, London later this year.

WellChild provides essential and practical support to ensure that the increasing number of seriously ill children and young people in the UK have the best possible quality of care.