THREE schools in west Wiltshire have pledged their support to children from a Sri Lankan town devastated by the tsunami.

St Laurence Secondary School and Christchurch and Fitzmaurice primary schools are twinning with three schools in Galle as part of a three-year project. The work will link up with the charity Hope for Children, which is working closely with handicapped, orphaned, poor and exploited children in the area.

Bradford mayor Vicky Landell Mills will be at St Margaret's Hall on Sunday to launch the scheme and receive a cheque from all three schools.

Cllr Landell Mills said: "We wanted something to go on beyond the tsunami, and it will be an ongoing process of reconstruction. It will be more than just giving money. At the moment it will be for three years but if it goes on longer then fine. The charity we are linked with is particularly active in Sri Lanka.

"They do ongoing projects with street children who are in need, and since the tsunami they have been involved with finding placements for orphans."