BLACKBURN school pupils have helped to raise almost £50,000 for victims of the Pakistan flood disaster.

Pupils, parents and community members at Tauheedul Islam High School and Tauheedul Islam Mosque raised the cash which will be handed to a charity working to rebuild destroyed communities in the crisis-hit country.

Lord Adam Patel, president of Tauheedul Islam Mosque, said: “Everyone in the community, young and old, felt great shock and compassion for millions of our brothers and sisters in Pakistan.

We wanted to come together as one community to express our solidarity with those affected.”

The donation will be used to rebuild homes and vital facilities destroyed in the floods through the Bolton-based Ummah Welfare Trust charity.

Mufti Hamid Patel, principal and chief executive of Tauheedul Islam Girls’ High School, said: “For a school and community the size of ours to raise such a huge amount of money is quite incredible and a real testament to the humanitarian spirit we have here.”

The money was raised through worshipper donations and events in the mosque.”