INTERNATIONAL wildlife charity Born Free is appealing to animal lovers to donate old £1 coins before they become “extinct” later this year.

New 12-sided £1 coins went into circulation in March, and the old, round £1 coins will cease to be legal tender from midnight on October 15.

Born Free will use the money raised to help endangered and threatened species worldwide. President Will Travers said: “Where are your old £1 coins hiding? Wherever they are, track them down, catch them and send them to the best possible home – the Born Free Foundation – where they will help save lives.”

Once ranging across Asia, wild tiger numbers have plummeted from 93 per cent in the past 100 years to just 3,500 today. The South China and Sumatran subspecies are classified as “critically endangered” and the remaining subspecies are classified as “endangered”.

• For more information and to request a coin card, holding up to five old £1 coins, call (01403) 240170.