CHARITY shop and office workers joined forces to belt out tunes to shoppers in a Basingstoke street.

The karaoke challenge took place outside the British Heart Foundation store in Wote Street as part of the charity’s National Wear Red Day.

Staff from the shop and from Southern Electric, in Winchester Road, took turns on the microphone to sing tunes including Hey Jude by The Beatles and Star Trekkin’ by The Firm.

Shoppers could give donations to make the singers stop and change the tune, or to have a go themselves.

Tony Temple, store manager, said the singing stunt raised £587.

He said: “It was very good. Last Friday was a national fundraising day and we thought we would do something a bit different.

“It was a bit of fun, and in the afternoon a lot of people were joining in and wanting to sing.”

A total of 13 metering staff from Southern Electric took part in the event. Vicki Birch, Southern Electric volunteer organiser, said it had been great fun and added: “There definitely aren’t any budding pop stars amongst us, so when we took to the microphone, the public were only too willing to give us money to stop us singing.”