British Heart Foundation has launched a virtual fish tank, which will be filled with user-generated fish, as part of its Mending Broken Hearts Appeal to raise awareness of the research it is doing.

Having launched over the weekend, so far more than 1,000 people have added a zebrafish and a message of support to the Hope Tank and about 15 per cent of those have requested an information pack.

As well as showing support, users can give either a one-off or regular donation to support research into the zebrafish, which can mend its own heart.

People can log in using their Facebook account to see fish their friends have added and share the link to the Hope Tank. People can also see how many people from their town have contributed to the tank.

Celebrities who have added a fish and left video messages of support include Gabby Logan, Gemma Atkinson and Tina Hobley and more will be added over time.

Nick Radmore, head of social marketing and brand at the charity, said of the campaign: “It is very much an ongoing project which we will be adding to and we are currently looking at things we can do for Christmas that will get people to come back and have another look.”