A MOUNTAIN of aid aboard three giant lorries will be setting off from Hyndburn this Sunday bound for desperately poor youngsters and families in Eastern Europe.

And the people moving the mountain thousands of miles will be officers from the Lancashire Constabulary who have organised seven other aid convoys to Romania over the years.

The tough 12-day trek has been made possible by the kindness of hundreds of local schoolchildren and local businesses who have donated all the much-needed supplies.

The aid includes new clothes, toiletries, bedding and tinned food which will be distributed to children at orphanages and needy families.

The convoy of kindness has been organised by PC Gail Whiteoak, the schools liaison officer for Hyndburn, who enlisted the help of 19 schools and businesses.

This week she said she had been overwhelmed by the response to the Romania appeal and thanked everyone who had helped to make it all possible.

Gail, who visits schools and has given talks to pupils on the aid convoys, said: "The response has been fantastic and my front room is currently packed full of stuff for the trip.

"I have never done anything like this before and I'm really looking forward to it. It will be quite an experience. Some of the officers have been before, as it is the eighth trip for the Lancashire Constabulary.

Gail added: "We will be taking three articulated lorries, a 7.5 tonne vehicle, and a mini-bus.

"We will travel from Preston to Dover, and then through France, Belgium, Austria, Germany, Hungary and into Romania.

"The journey covers 2,000 miles and we will be taking it in turns to drive."

Gail will be travelling with colleague Sergeant Frank Gregson from Accrington Police. They will be joined by Sergeant Stuart Bruce, PC Pete Sculphur, PC Steven Berry from Blackburn Police, along with a civilian vehicle mechanic and four officers from Chorley and Skelmersdale.

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