BASINGSTOKE MP Maria Miller has donated £250 to a BBC charity appeal after a musician blamed her for hitting sales of his remaining charity calendars.

As reported in last week’s edition of The Gazette, Brian James had written to Mrs Miller to ask her for £250 after he claimed he couldn’t sell the final 50 of his £5 charity calendars, which aim to raise money for BBC’s Children in Need.

Brian, from Fountains Close, in Popley, Basingstoke, believed the fallout from Mrs Miller’s expenses claims saga, which saw the Basingstoke MP resign from her position as Culture Secretary on April 9, hampered his attempts to sell the calendars because a picture of the MP was on the front cover.

The calendar features images of buskers around the town centre, and the singer with well-known local people, including Mrs Miller.

Singer Brian had already raised £1,100 for the appeal after selling copies of the Basingstoke-themed calendar and copies of his £2.50 CD around the borough.

But now Mrs Miller has written to the musician, thanking him for his request for funding, and has donated £250 to the BBC charity.

Responding to the donation, Brian said: “I am chuffed to bits and it (the money) will be important for BBC’s Children in Need.

“It has really surprised me. I liked her before she was elected, and it has shown I was not wrong about her.”