NEPALESE earthquake victims have finally received urgently-needed supplies donated by people across the region after a community leader and businessman teamed up to overcome bureaucratic hurdles.

Half of the ten tonnes of goods given to the Catterick Garrison-based appeal spent almost two months gathering dust in a church warehouse near Northallerton after the country's government introduced taxes of up to 30 per cent on relief material and freight charges to transport the donations were raised.

After the first five tonnes were delivered, appeal organisers faced a large bill to get the supplies to Nepal, large parts of which were flattened by the natural disaster in April, in which 9,000 people died.

When it was suggested some of the donations stored at the Hollybush Christian Fellowship would have to be burned as the church's warehouse was needed for its hay harvest, members of the 1,400-strong Nepalese community at the garrison were dismayed.

Executive member of the British Ghurkha and Nepalese Community Jagannath Sharma, principal physiotherapist at the garrison's Infantry Training Centre, said Nepalese fashion businessman Ravi Chandra's foundation had agreed to take delivery of 1.5 tonnes of donations, so no import taxes would be levied.

The donations were sorted into those most desperately needed, such as sleeping bags and blankets, he and Dr Sharma said he had negotiated cut-price freight charges for the goods to be flown from Manchester to India, where they were collected this week by the foundation.

Dr Sharma and Mr Chandra paid the freight fees out of their own pockets.

He said: "People donated from their heart and when I heard they may be burned, my heart was broken.

"I was determined not to let the people down who donated and I'm delighted about all the things we have now been able to send.

"Even though it is a little bit late, they have reached there now and it's still very much needed.

"I would like to thank the Northern Echo for raising awareness of this."

Dr Sharma said the foundation had handed the donations to the Nepalese Army to distribute, as it was best placed to know where the supplies were most needed.

Appeal organisers said it remained unclear what would be done with the remaining 3.5 tonnes of donations, which are mostly clothes, but it is understood they may be given to charities or to a recycling firm, the proceeds from which would be given to earthquake victims.