A COUPLE prepared for the arrival of a young guest from Belarus by creating a pop-up restaurant to feed 21.

Ten young children from the region blighted by the Chernobyl disaster 25 years ago arrived in Northallerton this week for a month's visit, each staying with a host family.

And before the arrival of their young guest, Anna Cox and Gareth Dant hosted 19 friends for a three-course dinner provided with help from local businesses.

“A pop-up restaurant is a pretty simple idea,” explained Miss Cox, a teacher at Northallerton College.

“You simply turn your home into a dining room for the night. In our case, as numbers increased, we called on the kindness of our neighbours - they have a much larger dining room.

“Our guests brought their own wine and we asked for donations, but we were overwhelmed by the generosity of suppliers and of our guests.

“We've had £370 given or pledged so far, and there's still more coming in from people who couldn't make it on the night.”

The money is going to the local branch of the Friends of Chernobyl's Children, a charity which brings children from contaminated area over for four weeks each year for three years in succession.

The children are aged from seven to 12 and all come from socially disadvantaged families.

“It is important for these children to be able to detoxify their systems with clean air and clean food," added Miss Cox.

While in North Yorkshire, the children visit doctors, dentists and opticians and enjoy a fun-packed programme arranged by a team of volunteers.

* Anyone wishing to donate to, or find out more about the Friends of Chernobyl's Children (Northallerton), should contact chairwoman Shirley Place on 01609-883708.