A FORMER police inspector set off last night on a charity mission to help people at a school for the blind in Burma.

Fred Farley, formerly with Darlington police, has spent months gathering supplies for the ten children who will be the school's first pupils.

The private detective has put a lot of his own money into buying Braille typewriters and writing kits, talking watches and tape recorders for the school, but has also received some donations from local people and organisations.

Paul Mung, the founder of the school in Ka Lay Myo, near the Bangladesh border in Burma, is native Burmese who lost his sight after eating quinine bark -which can destroy eyesight - to cure himself of malaria because he could not afford a doctor.

Mr Farley is still seeking donations for the school so that the students, some of whom are orphans, can be fed three meals a day.

He is also taking photographs of war graves in Burma for the Durham Light Infantry during his visit.

The trip to Ka Lay Myo in Burma, via Amsterdam, Bangkok and Yangon - formerly Rangoon - will take Mr Farley four days.

Anyone wanting to contact Mr Farley when he returns, in about a month's time, can call him on 0191-377 1810.