FORMER Marlborough firefighter Glenn 'Drinky' Drinkwater is appealing to Wiltshire families to provide pens, pencils, paper, crayons and chalk for children in the Kosovan capital Pristina.

Sgt Drinkwater, whose mother and stepfather live in Upper Isbury, Marlborough, is based in Pristina with 45 Commando and is operating as a link between the civilian population and the military in the worn torn city.

The unit is doing what it can to help the local schools resume normality in buildings which have been ravaged by shell fire, rocket mortars and bombs.

But Sgt Drinkwater, who has a ten-year-old daughter Kerrie, said that efforts to re-start educating the Kosovan children, many of whom lost parents, siblings and other relatives in the civil war, are being hampered by a lack of materials for them to write with or on.

He said: "Although the United Nations Mission in Kosovo is doing all it can for the education system, there is still a massive void of basic stationery, pens and paper and even chalk is in short supply.

"This is due mainly to the fact that most of the UN money has had to be pumped into firstly rebuilding schools as they were neglected dreadfully prior to the NATO intervention."

Sgt Drinkwater, who lives in Taunton with his wife, Debbie, and daughter when he is not serving overseas, said it is hard not to be touched by the plight of the Kosovan children, both Albanian and Serb, who want to learn but have few if any materials to write with or draw on.

He said: "I expect most homes in Britain, especially those with children, have pens, pencils, crayons and paper which they can spare. The children out here have literally nothing to write with or write on so I am appealing for any donations of pens, pencils or other stationery which they are desperate for."

The Gazette has agreed provide collection points at its offices in Devizes, Chippenham and Marlborough where donated materials can be left during office hours.

The packaged materials will then be transported to RAF Lyneham which has agreed to fly them out to the former Yugoslavia where Sgt Drinkwater's unit will distribute them to the schools.

The materials needed include:

l Pens and pencils.

l Writing paper and drawing paper of all types.

l Coloured crayons or children's paints (no aerosol paints).

l Gummed coloured paper.

l Non toxic glue sticks.

l Folders, files and paper clips

Sgt Drinkwater, who service in the commandos has taken him to a number of the world's trouble spots in recent years, said it was hard not to be touched by the plight of the children.

He said: "They are keen to learn despite their pitifully run-down surroundings. Their classrooms are freezing with plaster falling from the walls, creaking chairs and broken desks. But sadly they do not have the basics to learn with."

One of the teachers, Sabrie Kastrati, commented: "I have to keep the few bits of chalk in my bag because it is all we have. The children want to learn so much, if only we had the resources."

Sgt Drinkwater, a former pupil of St John's School, Marlborough, said he was confident Wiltshire people will respond generously to the appeal.

"With Christmas coming up they can help these children get back to a life which is a little bit more like they were used to before the hostilities," he said.

"They need desks, chairs, pens, pencils and paper and I hope to get some of it for them, somehow, just to give them a chance in life."

He added: "A marine's training may be tough but it's nothing to what these kids have had to go through. Seeing how they cope and with so much cheerfulness makes you realise how well off we are in the UK."