ABERGAVENNY'S own Elvis Presley (aka Keith Davies) has been giving away some of the proceeds of his concerts to good causes.

Just before Christmas he gave £400 to the fund set up to help baby Thomas Batten and his parents Chris and Anna of Victoria Street, Abergavenny. Thomas was born without eyes in July 2006 and his parents have to take him regularly to Moorfields Hospital, London where he has just been fitted with his first artificial eyes.

Said Anna: "At first we were going to London twice a month for expanders to be fitted to enlarge his eye sockets and make room for his new eyes.

"But now he has the eyes, we don't have to return for a check-up until February. We have to watch him very carefully during the daytime to make sure he doesn't remove the eyes and swallow them like he did with one of the expanders."

The fund was set up because it costs Anna and Chris at least £100 each visit because of train fares and overnight accommodation. Donations have come from Abergavenny website company FreshTies and from the new owners of the former Malthouse restaurant which is now called Hal's Steakhouse.

Elvis also presented the local Barnardo's Helpers Group with £250 and chairman Jane White was present to receive the cheque from Mrs Presley (aka Melanie Davies) as Elvis was busy at work.

With his eve-of-Christmas concert at the Beaufort Theatre, Elvis and his Memphis Mafia are now fast approaching £100,000 which they have raised for charities since they started their shows. They never charge for their services, and tickets always sell out weeks before a concert, indicating their popularity and professionalism.