A SALISBURY businessman has been recycling old boiler parts to raise money for The Stars Appeal, after being treated with equipment funded by the charity.

Richard Varney, who runs TVS Boilers Spares with his son Tom, was admitted to Salisbury District Hospital’s cardiac suite last April after suffering several angina attacks.

Doctors in the cardiac suite, which was funded by The Stars Appeal in 2011, were able to fit Mr Varney with a stent in the vessels of his heart and has now made a full recovery.

Mr Varney said: “I had no idea The Stars Appeal funds so many different projects at the hospital, including the cardiac suite which helped to save my life. We are happy to be raising money for such an amazing charity.”

Richard and Tom, who work out of Churchfields Industrial Estate, run a heating spares company and have encouraged engineers to bring them old brass nozzles, a part on an oil-fired boiler that is changed annually and usually get discarded.

Local tradesmen have so far collected 70kg of nozzles, which have been sold and raised more than £200.

And TVS Boiler Spares has rounded that figure up to £500.

They will continue to collect brass nozzles and give all the money raised to The Stars Appeal’s campaign for a second MRI machine.

A second scanner will enable more than10,000 people each year to have their MRI scans faster and at their local hospital, avoiding the need to travel to other hospitals or use a mobile scanner in the hospital car park. Cancer, stroke, heart and many other patients will benefit from the very latest MRI diagnostic techniques, reducing the need for invasive procedures.

For more information or to donate to the Stars Appeal please see the website starsappeal.org or contact the office on 01722 429005.