A CHARITY group in Oban is in the money after a six-year-old boy persuaded an oil billionaire to hand over his cash to a good cause.

When Jim Ratcliffe sailed into town on his £130 million superyacht, the Friends of Oban Playpark dispatched Ruari Cottier to sail out to him on a dinghy and hand deliver a begging letter to the Ineos boss.

But when the weeks rolled by without a reply the group thought their appeal for a donation towards a new playpark had landed on deaf ears.

Then it emerged that although staff on the yacht had taken the letter from Ruari, it had not been passed on to the oil tycoon - and once Mr Ratcliffe heard about Ruari's efforts he decided to reward him with some financial support.

Ruari's mother Liz Cottier, Vice Chair of the Friends of Oban Community Playpark, said: "We have just received a cheque for £1000 from Mr Ratcliffe, this is fantastic news. Ruari is going to write him a thank you note."

A spokesman for the oil billionaire said: "Jim Ratcliffe was very impressed to hear about Ruari Cottier's ingenious efforts to deliver his letter."

Oban's main playpark at the Atlantis Leisure Centre was closed in February after being condemned as unsafe.

Lyndsay Elliott, chair of Friends of Oban Playpark, said they were trying every way possible to raise £400,000 for a new facility.

She said: "Everybody saw this posh yacht, and saw him on his private jet at Oban airport, so Liz, our vice chairman, went out to the yacht with her son with a letter saying - please donate some money to our cause.

"We are absolutely delighted with this donation because any money we get goes towards our goal."