Animated character Wallace will be leaving Gromit at home when he visits children being treated at the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, on April 16.

Runner Bernie Hollywood will stop in Oxford in a human-sized Wallace suit during a practice run for Sunday's London Marathon.

Mr Hollywood, from Liverpool, is taking part in the event in aid of the Wallace and Gromit Children's Foundation, which raises money for children's hospitals in the UK, including the new £20m development at the JR.

Most of the charity's cash is raised on Wrong Trousers Day, when, for £1, people can change their normal suits and skirts for something a bit different.

Anyone who would like to take part in this year's event on July 2 can log on to www.wrongtrousersday.org