DONATIONS have been flooding in from as far away as Australia to help vulnerable child refugees thanks to an article in the Dorset Echo.

Weymouth businessman Christopher Toms – who splits his time between Dorset and Plataria in Greece – has been appealing for items to give to young families living in four mountainous refugee camp in the mountains close to his Greek home.

The Dorset Echo has run a number of articles and kind-hearted readers have responded by sending in lots of items to help the children in the camps.

Mr Toms said they have also received aid from people in Australia, Germany and Scotland as a result of people searching online for ways to help child refugees in Greece and coming across the Dorset Echo articles.

He wants to thank everyone who has already helped, and as winter approaches and temperatures turn colder again, to issue another appeal.

He said: “Our tiny local post office in our village of Plataria have loved becoming involved. We've had around 100 parcels arrive, a lot of shoes, glasses, educational equipment. This is all a real game changer for the kids who don’t have shoes or glasses or decent clothing.

“The financial aid we turned into fresh food. Bananas were extremely and excitedly received, but we focused on providing staples such as rice, lentils, salt, oil, pasta, fruit and veg, flour and sugar.”

He added: “We have delivered aid to four camps in the mountains, overall the people seemed happy and very friendly. We never saw a sad individual although I'm sure inside their hearts must be bleeding. 

“Medical San frontiers have also become involved which is great news.  Now it's turning to winter in the mountains and freezing temperatures and snow we turn our support to the Albanian children living on the rubbish dumps cooking over toxic plastic rubbish. They live in the most terrible environment using plastic rubbish, wood and sheeting to construct mini tents like one would expect to see in Africa. 

“As far we can see these children have no school, medicines and certainly no home,  unfortunately we don't share a language so it's difficult to communicate.

“We are seeking donations of any kind of help people would like to offer, we can transport them 120km through the mountains and deliver hand to hand.”

Anyone who wishes to help is urged to get in touch with him by emailing cjtoms@hotmail.co.uk or calling 07976 897884.