When the old Highbury College campus in Cosham closed to make way for a state-of-the-art facility next door, hundreds of used toys and books were left behind.

Recently a small fire at the old campus meant crew manager Paul Cambell visited the site and came across the books and toys.

Knowing that a new school is being built in Uganda, crew manager Cambell contacted the site owners, Portsmouth-based demolition company Hughes and Salvidge, to ask permission to send the toys and books to Africa.

Two van loads are now being shipped to Uganda where they will be used by children at the Mothercare Preparatory School in the community of Nalumuny, near the capital Kampala.

Crew manager Cambell said: 'A friend is closely linked to the Uganda project.

'We are delighted at the sheer volume of items that were still usable and we hope that the young people of Uganda get as much joy out of the toys as the children of Portsmouth have over the years.'