THE HEADTEACHER of an arson hit school has thanked everyone who rallied round to help after the loss of thousands of pounds worth of toys.

Maxine Bell said staff at Guiseley Primary Pre-School had been overwhelmed by the response of local people who had made donations to replace the toys which were destroyed in an arson attack over the summer.

An appeal for replacement toys was co-ordinated by Jenny Hayres, who is on a work placement at the pre-school. The response was incredible, with hundreds of items being donated by parents and local wellwishers.

The Guiseley branch of estate agent Manning Stainton has sponsored a new playhouse at the pre-school which lost £4,500 worth of toys and equipment.

Mrs Bell said: "We have been absolutely overwhelmed by the generosity and kindness of the people of Guiseley. I also want to pay special tribute to Jenny Hayres who has been the driving force throughout and also Zoe Lowe, Helen Milliopollis and Katrina Goldsmith for all their help and hard work.’

The majority of the toys went straight into the school ready to be played with, while some were sold in a special event at The Station pub. This raised £232, with the money being used to buy a new dressing-up stand.

Mrs Bell said: "Seeing the children playing with all the toys, the new dressing up stand and the playhouse is proof that a very sad episode has had a happy ending. It is easy to think that community spirit is a thing of the past, but this exercise has shown it is definitely alive and kicking."

Clare Frieze, Manager at the Manning Stainton branch on The Green in Guiseley said: "As a company we pride ourselves on having a strong association with the local community which is why we were so keen to contribute to this initiative."