Christmas came early for 10 UK charities when a motor racing legend used a forklift to deliver a GBP1 million (USD1.9 million) donation last week.

Sir Jackie Stewart used a forklift to drop off the Royal Bank of Scotland's donation, comprising stacks of GBP10 notes, wrapped in a red ribbon, at its Edinburgh offices.

A bank spokeswoman told the BBC the former Formula 1 world champion was the bank's ambassador and an active supporter of charities.

"So he was the ideal man for the job. His driving skills [came] in handy too," she said.

Stewart, 65, delivered the massive stack of cash amid strict security.

Recipients of the donation were Cancer Research UK, NSPCC, Oxfam, RSPCA, Childlife, Save the Children, Help the Hospices, ChildLine, Action Medical Research and Macmillan Cancer Relief.