A MUM has paid a special tribute to the neo-natal unit which helped her baby daughter.

Chelsea Jones spearheaded a scarecrow festival, which raised £870 for the Airedale Hospital facility.

Her daughter Lillian spent time on the unit.

"Lillian stayed there after she was born because she was unable to breathe on her own," says Chelsea, from Riddlesden.

"The care, patience and support given during what was the hardest time of my life was incredible.

"To fundraise I wanted to create something for families to do in the community, as well as bringing everyone together.

"As children we always went to a scarecrow trail with my grandparents, and loved it!".

Thirty scarecrows were created around Riddlesden, and trail maps were available from the post office.

The winning entry was based on Shaggy, from Scooby Doo.

Prizes were donated by Baildon Camping Cabins and The Beauty Lady.

St Mary's Church, Riddlesden Green Connection and the United Reformed Church helped with the running of a fun day, staged to further boost funds.

Laura Hepworth, community fundraiser with Airedale Hospital & Community Charity, says: "Thank you to everyone for getting involved in the festival. We loved seeing the creativity of the different entries."