CHILDREN living near the scene of one of the worst nuclear disasters in history have been given clothes, food and school supplies from a north Durham aid mission.

Two trucks packed with donations travelled from the area to villages around the town of Brest, in Belarus, which suffered from high levels of radioactive pollution following the Chernobyl nuclear power plant explosion in 1986.

The trip was organised by the GMB union and Durham County Council, with the much-needed supplies donated by local businesses, including Chester-le-Street social local landlord, Cestria Community Housing.

Orphanages, hospitals and schools will all benefit from the supplies, which include tinned and dried food, toiletries, pens and paper, kitchen equipment, bedding and wheelchairs.

GMB senior organiser Terry Scarr said: “We’ve been organising these trips for more than 20 years now and we know what a difference it makes to the lives of local people.

“Brest is a very poor area and the people living there receive very little in the way of government aid so our trips there are really important, especially at the moment with winter on the way, the clothing and blankets are particularly welcome.

“Thanks to the generosity of local people and business such as Cestria we can help make life for the residents of these villages a little bit easier.”

In previous years the GMB has organised similar aid missions to Durham’s twin city Kostroma, in Russia, and Bacau in Romania.

Paul Fiddaman, chief executive of Cestria Community Housing, said: “The GMB’s annual aid missions help support people living in very difficult conditions and we were only too happy to get behind this year’s trip by providing a van and donating goods.”