PUPILS have responded to an appeal to help deprived children by collecting dozens of pairs of Wellington boots.

Nigel Richardson, a school transport driver from Kirkbymoorside, contacted a number of schools to help provide footwear for children in Romanian orphanages.

Mr Richardson has made five trips to Bucharest, taking shoeboxes filled with Christmas presents, for the charity Children in Distress.

The former mayor of Kirkbymoorside, who is also a school governor, enlisted the help of pupils from Kirkbymoorside, Rosedale and Gillamoor primary schools, along with Ryedale School, collecting 50 pairs of wellies in four days.

The first collection of boots was taken to Bucharest last month.

Nigel said: “The children are so grateful to receive the presents we have taken to them as so many of them are living in distressful conditions.”

Kirkbymoorside school headteacher Gill Hardacre said: “The winter weather enabled us to explain to the children how, while they had several pairs of boots and shoes to cope with the conditions, the children in Bucharest often didn’t have any at all and had to go barefoot. The response from the children and their parents was instant and they immediately started to bring in pairs of boots to help. It has also been a good educational exercise for the children.”

“We find that when they and they and their families are wonderful when it comes to appeals such as this.”

Nicola Johnson, headteacher at Rosedale Abbey school, said they had collected 20 pairs of wellies.

“We talked to the pupils about how other children did not have any shoes to wear and they were keen to get involved and help,” she said.