SCHOOL students who raised money to help injured troops have met the soldier who fronts the campaign.

Staff and pupils at the Education Village, in Darlington, handed over money to Simon Brown, who is the face of the Help for Heroes campaign.

Mr Brown lost his left eye and almost all the vision in his right eye when a bullet hit his cheek during an insurgent attack in Iraq.

He owns several false eyes featuring images, including one with a coat of arms, one with a dartboard and a festive one with a reindeer.

The Yorkshireman, who joined the Army at 18 more than a decade ago, underwent 100 hours of surgery after he was injured.

He was chosen by The Sun newspaper to be the face of their Help for Heroes campaign which aims to raise £20m to build recovery homes for war-shattered British soldiers.

The Education Village raised £2,300 for the charity by selling Help for Heroes merchandise.

Youngsters handed over a cheque to Mr Brown, when he visited the school yesterday.

He was joined by other members of the armed forces, who spoke about their careers on the frontline.

Mr Brown also spoke to the students, many of whom are battling to overcome their own disabilities, about his own personal challenge since the attack in 2006.