A COUPLE from the North-East have only one present on their wedding list -a £2,000 borehole.

David Taylor, 52, and fiancee Heather Fraser, 46, will marry next month, and have asked guests not to bother with the usual toasters and dinner services. Instead, the couple hope friends and relatives will donate enough money to provide a water supply for a village in Malawi.

The couple, from Carrville, Durham, came up with the idea for the unusual gift after talking to friend Khaiko Makwela-Wali in the pub.

Mr Makwela-Wali had recently returned from a visit to his home village of Sauya, where many children do not have time to go to school because they have to walk up to five miles a day to collect water for their families.

Mr Taylor, a maths and English teacher, said: "You cannot help everyone, but by focusing on just one place, you can make a difference.

"We were talking about the situation in the village, particularly among the orphans, and thought 'this is crackers, we need to do something'.

"We each have our own home; we have everything we need, so rather than guests giving us a toaster or a deep-fat fryer or something else we do not need, we would rather they gave us the money to help."

The couple, who met 18 months ago while serving in the Territorial Army in Middlesbrough, will marry on August 13 at Guisborough Register Office followed by a reception at the TA Centre for about 200 guests.

To donate money to the gift, call Mr Taylor on 0191-384 9088.