A HANDMADE beaded wedding bouquet is the prize in a competition to raise money for Cancer Research.

Staff at Whitehaven Specsavers are asking customers to pop in and guess how many beads are used on the bouquet. It costs £1 to guess.

The winner – who will be announced on December 1 – will also receive a handmade wand and designer glasses or six months of contact lenses.

Specsaver optical assistant, Karen Billingham, made the prize bouquet. She said: "I was asked by a friend a few years ago to see if I could make a bouquet for her wedding.

"I had never made one before and after a few tests I managed it! Every bead is wired on separately so it took a while.

"A few months ago one of my friends, Lorraine Kirkbride, was diagnosed with cancer. She is such a positive person and is fighting the disease as we speak,'' Karen explained.

"Lorraine is also raising money for Cancer Research by walking 10,000 steps a day for the month of September.

"When she is unable to do the steps herself all of her friends have help do the steps for her. She inspired me to do something myself so I set about making the bouquet to raise money for Cancer Research.''

Karen said Specsavers have been extremely supportive, with manager Becky Leder and director Rizz Ahmad, offering the glasses and contact lenses as further prizes.

Specsavers staff also raised over £200 for Cancer Research following a recent cake sale.