The chief executive of the Ferne Animal Sanctuary will be sleeping rough for a week to raise desperately-needed money for his charity.

Kevan Hodges will spend a night on the streets outside each of Ferne's seven charity shops in Devon and Somerset, starting in Sidmouth on Wednesday, June 19.

He will then camp outside the shops in Honiton, Ilminster (June 21), Crewkerne (June 22), Wellington, Dorchester, and finally Chard on Tuesday, June 25.

Kevan said his fundraising is part of an urgent appeal, launched in May, to raise £100,000 over four months to keep the Chard-based charity going.

He said: "Ferne has faced unprecedented price hikes in the past 12 to 24 months, not least of which are vet and medical at over 60 per cent up year on year, feed and bedding and professional fees up 30 per cent, utilities between 30 per cent and 50 per cent, and labour at over 20 per cent. This is against a backdrop of ever more dogs and cats being surrendered to Ferne, or merely left abandoned and unwanted on our streets. My seven nights' sleep-out challenge is to highlight those issues."

Ferne Animal Sanctuary has rescued, rehabilitated, or rehomed around 40,000 animals since 1939 when it started caring for animals displaced by war.

There are always about 300 animals at the 72-acre sanctuary, and another 200-250 animals successfully rehomed each year.

Kevan is inviting donations towards the appeal via his JustGiving page and will also have a collection bucket to take cash donations during his sleep-outs.