CHILDREN in one of Britain's poorest areas are helping youngsters less fortunate than themselves.

More than 300 pupils attend Thorntree Primary School, in Middlesbrough.

Thorntree is one of Britain's most disadvantaged housing estates.

The children have raised £344, enough to send a truck loaded with medicines, foodstuffs, clothing and hospital furniture to Romania Convoy Aid on its 2,000-mile journey.

It is the second biggest fund- raising effort by pupils, compared only with their response to the Tsunami disaster.

Adam Cochrane, science leader at the school, said: "It is their largest single effort.''

In return for the money they raised, the little fundraisers were given diecast toy replicas of Mace grocer's vans, by Convoy Aid's founder, Rod Jones.

Volunteers are needed to help load a lorry with aid for Romania, leaving the charity's compound on Blue House Point Road, Portrack, Stockton, on Saturday.

Loading operations start at 9am.

Mr Jones is offering to take half a dozen tearaways who have been made the subject of anti-social behaviour or probation orders, to Romania, to distribute the aid over Christmas.

He received 66 inquiries from young people after his appeal for volunteers to accompany him, appeared in The Northern Echo, last Saturday.