Marks & Spencer staff have beaten their target of raising 1.25 million for charity over 125 days, raising 2 million.

The retail employees were challenged to raise the cash for local and regional charities before 2 September as part of the company's 125^th birthday celebrations.

To celebrate the fundraising success, the M&S senior management team will visit every store in the UK to congratulate staff.

Mike Barry, head of sustainable business at the firm, said: "I would like to congratulate all our stores across the country for their hard work and dedication in raising these impressive amounts of money for their chosen charities.

"Our stores are firmly committed to working with local communities and as we celebrate our 125^th anniversary it is great to see how much our employees care about supporting local causes."