Ricky Gervais provided a “fantastic” surprise for an East Finchley dog charity by donating the proceeds of a warm-up gig held at the Arts Depot.

All Dogs Matter, in Aylmer Parade, only heard the news when Gervais announced it on Twitter after his Humanity tour performance on January 19.

General manager Ira Moss said the donation – not yet counted but thought to be about £1,000 – was an “amazing” gift that will help the charity care for sick dogs.

She said: “I went to the gig and it was fantastic – Ricky is the king of comedy as far as I’m concerned.

“But the donation shows he genuinely cares about animals and wants to help a local charity.”

Ms Moss said the money will be used to treat the many dogs being brought to the charity with illnesses.

She said: “We’re getting lots of dogs that have been abandoned because they are so unwell and our kennels are always full – we’ve had three in, all extremely sick, just this week.

“We’ll spend the money on veterinary care.”