KNITTERS primed with their needles are being called on to craft thousands of miniature hats.

Age UK Oxfordshire has been challenged to knit 28,000 hats, which will sit on the top of Innocent smoothie bottles across the country.

The joint nationwide campaign between the charity and the company will raise cash to help keep older people warm in winter.

It will see the drinks company donate 25p from each bottle to the charity.

Tiny hats crafted by Oxfordshire residents are expected to be sitting comfortably on bottles from Winter 2017.

Knitters have already crafted 8,700 woolly works of art, and are now being asked to help reach the target by July 3.

This year’s challenge sees the charity tasked with creating more than double the number of tiny hats needed last year.

Knitters across the country last year crafted 14,000 hats, smashing its target by 500.

Cash raised during The Big Knit will support Age UK Oxfordshire’s information and advice helpline, which provides support to older people during the cold winter months. The charity said as many as 25,000 older people may die needlessly in the winter because of the cold.

Email media@ageukoxfordshire.org.uk or call 0345 450 1276.