SUPERMARKET shoppers dug deep into their pockets to help children with diabetes enjoy a better quality of life.

Customers at the Morrison's store in Bishop Auckland filled the collection boxes at a Christmas crib manned by volunteers from the town's Methodist church.

They helped the church raise £2,270 for paediatric consultant Dr Bill Lamb's campaign to buy insulin pumps for young patients.

Methodist minister the Reverend Michael Thompson and crib organiser Lez Rawe presented a cheque to Dr Lamb. The donation included money from two church collections.

Dr Lamb has run hundreds of miles raising money and has so far collected enough to help four young people. He is due to start another fundraising run soon.

He launched his campaign last year after becoming frustrated with delays in obtaining funding from National Health Service sources and hopes eventually to expand the service to the whole of the North-East. The pumps are small and easy to use and can drastically reduce the number of daily injections needed by diabetics.