A TEAM of employees from British Gas painted buildings at the IW Zoo as part of a volunteer programme set up by the gas supplier.

The 15 engineers arrived at the zoo on Friday, June 28, and began to paint the outside of the main building and the zoo’s education centre.

A spokesperson for British Gas, Paul Richards, said: “Thankfully the weather behaved itself and allowed for us to complete all that was asked."

Since 2017, IW Zoo has been running a charitable trust, with many of the big cats homed there, being rescues from circuses.

Mr Richards said: “Thankfully the weather behaved itself and allowed for us to complete all that was asked. Arriving at 8am we split into two teams, one concentrating on the front, tidying up the entrance and the view customers get when arriving.

“The second team set about the education centre, which needed two coats due to the length of time since its last lick of paint.

"Completing all this with an hour or two to spare allowed us to move about 40 bales of hay across the zoo for feed and bedding.”

The education centre is used to teach children visiting the zoo about the importance of conservation and awareness of the plights of some of the animals kept there.

Mr Richards said: “A really good day which was greatly appreciated by the staff at the zoo and culminated with some of the staff giving the volunteers a guided tour round and insight into the animals kept there.”