Catherine Zeta Jones donates shoes to help April appeal

The actress donated the shoes after being contacted by friends of April's family

Hollywood star Catherine Zeta Jones has donated a pair of shoes to raise funds to help the search for missing five-year-old April Jones.

The little girl was last seen near her home in Machynlleth in mid Wales seven weeks ago.

The signed designer shoes were used by the actress at a premiere and money raised will go to the 'April fund'.

Mark Bridger, 46, has been charged with April's murder, child abduction and perverting the course of justice.

A friend of April's family, Vikki Macdonald, said they had written a letter to the star to ask for support.

"She kindly gave us the shoes which she wore for a premiere - these will be up for auction to help the April Jones fund," she said.

The Swansea-born actress is well-known for her charity work -,as patron of the Noah's Ark Appeal she opened Cardiff's children's hospital in 2006.

Appearing there last week at its renaming she said: "I truly believe that the human nature of giving is unrelenting - even in dark financial times."

The shoes will be used to raise money for April's Fund

Zeta Jones's signed shoes, along with a signed photograph, will be included in an auction as part of a fund-raising night in Machynlleth later this month.

Donations to April's Fund, which is now being registered with the Charities Commission, have reached £40,000.

April went missing from her home at the start of October and, despite a massive search by police, specialist teams and hundreds of volunteers no trace has yet been found.

Dyfed Powys Police confirmed the search is currently on-going and they will be joined by mineshaft specialist to search caves and old quarry workings.