KIND-HEARTED children dug deep to raise £424 for the victims of the Nepal earthquake.

The pupils of St Silas C of E Primary in Revidge, Blackburn wanted to help after seeing the devastating effects of the disaster on television.

They each paid £1 to dress up in costumes from Alice in Wonderland.

Headteacher Hillary Hinchliffe said: "The school council came up with the idea and said they'd like to raise money for the people there. And the children even came to us at break time to donate their snack money too, which was a lovely thing to do."

Maulana Faruk Patel ((CORR)) of the Peoples Needs UK charity, accepted the money ahead of his aid relief trip to Nepal. He promised to revisit the St Silas Road school with pictures and information of where the money is to be spent.

He said: "The children have shown compassion and a real desire to work hard for others less fortunate than themselves. "Together they have made a difference to the lives of those caught up in this disaster."