PARISHIONERS from a north Durham church raised £4,000 last year for a school for abused and poverty-stricken children in Sri Lanka.

But £750 of it had to be spent on wrought iron gates at St Andrew's Methodist Church, in Brandon, near Durham City, after an attack by vandals.

Fundraising coordinator Syd Green announced the amount, after collecting the £138.19 the group raised carol singing on Friday and Saturday, December 15 and 16.

The group has already handed over a £2,000 cheque to charity Global Care, and the chief executive of the charity will attend the church to pick up the remainder of the money in the coming weeks.

The group raised the cash through a number of initiatives, including coffee mornings, table top sales and quizzes.

Mr Green said that the morning school in Sri Lanka is for children in poverty, who sometimes find themselves being abused by neighbours and tourists.

As well as being given some elementary education, the children are given a regular meal and clothes.