Packed with goodwill for West Country troops overseas

PUBLIC services students from Cornwall College Camborne have been collecting gifts for shoeboxes for troops from the South West serving overseas. Dionne Hampton, from Angarrack, Ashley Richards, from Camborne, and the rest of the group managed to collect enough gifts to fill almost 500 boxes.

Dionne said: "Once the shoppers had paid for their shopping, they simply dropped the items they had bought for the shoeboxes with us.

"We were also encouraging people to include a Christmas card or write a little note."

The list of suggested gifts included everyday items sometimes difficult to get hold of overseas, from toiletries and pharmaceutical products to sweet and savoury snacks. "The packages are destined specifically for service personnel from the South West," said Ashley. "It boosts their morale, makes them feel they are doing a worthwhile job and that people back home care about them."