People of Keighley pulled together and spontaneously gave £1,200 for the Indian Earthquake Appeal, at a meeting held last wek.

Cllr Kris Hopkins spoke at the meeting about messages he had received from his brother Stefan, who was working with the Rapid UK rescue team.

Margaret Burton, who chaired the meeting of about 25 people, said all charities would be working together to ensure the best possible result.

She said: "It was agreed money would be the best way to help, and several shopkeepers and representatives of the local community, churches and mosques offered to act as collection points for donations."

Nineteen collecting boxes have since been supplied by the Keighley News to help the fundraising effort.

The boxes were delivered, for distribution, to Prakash Parmar's Newsagents on South Street in Keighley.

The Parmars have lived in Keighley for over 21 years and are originally from near Surat, in India.

Mr Parmar said: "It's important to offer our help. My brother-in-law lives in Surat, which was badly hit by the earthquake and we didn't hear from him for two days.

"Thankfully he is alright and he is a doctor so is helping other people now."

Mr Parmar said that the collecting boxes had all been successfully distributed.

Major charities will receive donations, and the collecting boxes will be available throughout Keighley at Keighley Voluntary Services, the Keighley News offices in North Street, Bangladeshi Community Centre, Sangat Centre, KMA Community Centre, Autospot in Stockbridge, Grapevine book shop, Riddlesden Discount stores, Marks and Spencer of Keighley and Mr Parmar's newsagents on South Street.

Mr Parmar's daughters Bina, 17, from Holy Family School, and Tina, seven, helped with the posters to highlight the appeal and worked hard to label the collecting tins.

Local churches and mosques will also be collecting. The Keighley News will be acting as a central collecting point to send all donations via Unicef.

Charlie Bhowmick, who is involved with the fundraising, said: "The community is working closely for the cause. We are pulling together to help try to rebuild some kind of better life for those people who are left suffering with nothing.

"We therefore urge you to please make a donation, your help is most needed. Every little will help."

Another meeting will be held on Thursday, February 22, at the Victoria Hotel in Cavendish Street, Keighley, at 8.30pm.

At this meeting the Keighley News will be present. Stefan Hopkins, a rescue worker, and Nilesh Viyas from Ahmedabad will also be there to give first hand accounts of the situation in India.