A North-East millionaire is providing a haven for children fighting for survival on the streets of Colombia's most dangerous city.

Fitness tycoon Duncan Bannatyne has pledged £150,000 to convert an abandoned property into a home for street children living in horrific conditions and sleeping in the sewers of Medellin city.

The 54-year-old entrepreneur, who is chairman of Bannatyne Fitness, is working on the project alongside charity Scottish International Relief.

He agreed to fund the scheme after recently visiting the second city of Colombia, made infamous by the Medellin drugs cartel in the 1980s and 1990s, and seeing first-hand the plight of abandoned children.

Mr Bannatyne was taken down into the Medellin sewer system to meet children sleeping on filthy mattresses after being abandoned by their families.

He said: "These children have no identity. They are not registered, they don't even know who they are, so they can't get a passport, driving licence or a job. As far as the state is concerned they don't even exist."

The new home, due to open in September, will house 24 youngsters and provide basic accommodation and teaching.

"The accommodation will be for children under eight years old. We want to get these young children off the streets before they become acclimatised to living there," he said.

Mr Bannatyne, who was recently awarded an OBE for his business enterprise and charity work, has already funded the building of a Romanian orphanage in the town of Targu Mures for young victims of Aids and HIV.

His latest project has been praised by Children of the Andes, which works exclusively with children in Colombia and funds projects to help street children and victims of violence.

Pilar Ribeck, the charity's chief executive, said: "What Mr Bannatyne is doing is wonderful. For as long as there is one child living in the streets we have a moral and social responsibility to help them.

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