Pupils at a school in Lancashire have responded to a vital call from soldiers serving in Afghanistan.

The students were answering a request from a soldier and former pupil of Our Lady’s Catholic High, Preston, who sent a letter to the school asking for help with supplies.

Anthony Reid, whose younger brother is a Year 9 pupil at the school, wrote to the headteacher describing the miserable conditions in Helmand province, which he and the rest of the First Battalion Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment are facing.

He asked whether pupils, teachers and friends of the school could help ease their troubles by donating supplies such as pasta, biscuits, fly paper and mousetraps.

School spokeswoman Mary Cooch told the Lancashire Evening Post: “The soldiers’ morale was down as they were low on basic supplies and he wondered if Our Lady’s could assist in some way.

“Every form joined together, filling up shoe boxes with food and toiletries and the response was fantastic - more shoe boxes are still coming in to add to those already sent off to the troops.” rv.