With eight days to go to Christmas Day, children in homes across Bradford will be bursting with excitement.

And the 12 youngsters living at a Bradford Council home in Menston are no exception.

Staff at the home do their best not to disappoint the youngsters, who will be spending Christmas away from their families.

This year toys donated by Telegraph & Argus readers will add to the collection underneath their Christmas tree through the T&A Christmas Toy Appeal, which aims to donate a gift to every child in Bradford Council's care homes.

And the extra gift, however small, will make a big difference. "The closer Christmas gets the more excited the children become, said unit manager Maureen Pearson.

"To make things fair we try to make the amount and quality of everyone's gifts look the same." In the children's home the anticipation of Christmas is as important as the day itself with plenty of preparation in the weeks leading up to the big day. Last weekend they went to Bolton Abbey to choose two trees for their home.

And the children were visited by Father Christmas during a Christmas party yesterday.

Mrs Pearson said she thought the toy appeal was fantastic.

She said: "The appeal highlights children in the care system. They have got such a bad name, but they are just ordinary children who through no fault of their own cannot live at home. The toys are a bonus.

"When we cannot compete with what their school friends are receiving something like this will really help."

Those wishing to make a difference to a child in care at Christmas must deliver gifts before the end of the appeal on Monday. Each present must be new and the T&A ask gifts to remain unwrapped to help staff sort the presents.

Donors are asked to avoid giving toy weapons or second-hand items. Presents for babies should be avoided as there are no children under the age of five living in the homes.