Sheep's head and ferret among strange charity shop donations

A live ferret - but not this one - was donated to Blue Cross For Pets

A sheep's head, a prosthetic leg and a ferret are among the strangest gifts people have given to charities.

The items, which feature in a top 10 list of strange donations, were given to charities including Oxfam and Guide Dogs for the Blind.

The list, which was compiled by the Charities Aid Foundation, also includes a ventriloquist dummy and two canaries.

The donations have either been left at charity shops or bequeathed as legacies.

Other goods included a Victoria Cross and a Doulton Faience ceramic vase, which was spotted by valuers working for Oxfam.

Known as a moon flask because of its shape, the Doulton Faience vase was given to one of the charity's High Street shops.

The piece - dated circa 1890 - sold for £2,400 at auction in June 2016.

The top 10:

• A sheep's head (Sue Ryder)

• A prosthetic leg (Emmaus)

• A ventriloquist dummy (British Heart Foundation)

• A Victoria Cross Medal (CAF)

• Property (ranging from a townhouse in Central London to rural chocolate box cottages)

• A moon flask (Oxfam)

• A pair of canaries (Cancer Research UK)

• A live ferret (Blue Cross For Pets)

• A wedding dress used in an episode of Coronation Street (Guide Dogs For The Blind)

• A Kermit The Frog puppet from the 1970s

Joanna Walker, head of private clients at CAF, said: "People's generous and unusual donations make charity shops and websites an amazing source of items to buy, helping people personalise their homes and supporting thousands of vital causes in the process."