Staff at a national used car retailer, ACF Car Finance, has won a gold achievement accolade from the UK's national Payroll Giving scheme.

The honour is made to businesses which successfully encourage staff to make regular charitable donations, deducted at source from their salary.

ACF Car Finance operates a national network of used car showrooms, and many of its 210 employees have now signed up to payroll giving.

Jane Whittle, ACF marketing manager, who also heads the company's charity committee, said: “The Payroll Giving organisers told us that the number of people now making donations at ACF Car Finance meant that were automatically entered into their honours scheme

"The awards are made at different levels of achievement, so we were amazed to find that we had gone straight in at gold.”

Donations from the salaries of staff go directly to the automotive industry charity BEN.

Just a few months ago, BEN received a further £3,000 boost from ACF Car Finance when the firm's group buying manager, Leyton Cooper, took part in the cause's annual charity rally.

Last year, almost £114 million was received and distributed to charity by the government-sponsored Payroll Giving scheme, all from employees who donated straight from their salary.