Three retired engineers from Newcastle University have come to the aid of the world-famous Water Research Institute, in the Czech Republic, which lost thousands of books during last year's flooding in central Europe.

The flooding caused serious damage to the institute's library in Prague, destroying about 40 tonnes of books and research data.

After hearing news of the disaster, the three academics from the university decided to donate books from their own private collections to help the institute re-stock its library.

Jan Boucek, deputy director of the institute, will set off for Prague today with 600 books and journals, weighing about a third of a tonne, in his Land Rover. He drove to Newcastle this week to collect the books and to make a short visit to the university.

The book appeal was launched by Emeritus Professor Pavel Novak, who was joined in the effort by Dr Chandra Nalluri and Phil Johnson.

All three are retired staff members of the university's department of civil engineering (now called the School of Civil Engineering and Geosciences).

Mr Boucek said: "We are very grateful to Newcastle and a number of other research groups in Europe, which have come to our aid. The destruction of so many books was a terrible loss to us."

Prof Novak has strong links with the Czech Republic. He was principal research associate at the Water Research Institute, and later director of the Institute of Hydrodynamics, at the Czech Academy of Sciences, before coming to England in 1968.