A COLLECTION centre near Basingstoke was swamped with hundreds of carrier bags and boxes packed full of much-needed aid for the survivors of the south east Asia tsunami disaster.

Volunteers collecting on behalf of the Friends of the Maldives - a Salisbury-based charity - made a desperate 11th hour plea for a shopping list of items such as food, toiletries, medicines and tools at the end of last week.

And charitable residents - touched by the devastating images of families left homeless by the disaster - came up trumps, donating hordes of items to help the survivors of the tragedy.

The collection at Dummer Cricket Centre, which took place on Friday and Saturday, saw The Rotary Club of Basingstoke Deane team up with its Basingstoke and Basingstoke Loddon counterparts, together with Dummer residents, to receive and sort the generous donations.

Ray Baker, of The Rotary Club of Basingstoke Deane, said: "We have been inundated with the goodwill of the people of Basingstoke. It has just been pouring in - we have been so busy.

"We have also had a tremendous amount of volunteers who have come in and offered their services."

After the items were dropped off at the collection centre, volunteers sorted them into categories such as foods, tools and medicines, before loading them into large lorries and transit vans which were driven straight to Southampton.

Lewis Parker-Allen, nine, of Homesteads Road, Kempshott, Basingstoke, was among those volunteering.

The Kempshott Junior School pupil said: "I don't really like watching the news but my mum really wanted to, so I had to. I saw what happened and I saw all the children there and I felt like adopting some of them. I came along so that I could help them."

Nine-year-old Calvin Pomfret, of Merton Road, South View, Basingstoke, was also keen to help out.

Calvin, who attends St Bede's Primary School, Popley Way, Popley, said: "All the people that were hit by the wave don't have anything. They have no food. I am helping out to give them the stuff they need."

His mum Ronnie, 38, was so touched by the devastation of the disaster that she was prepared to go to the worst-hit countries to help.

"I phoned the Home Office, UNICEF and a lot of other numbers because I wanted to go out there," said Mrs Pomfret.

"But they said at the moment they are looking for engineers and doctors and nurses. They don't want too many people to be out there unnecessarily."

Donna McElhinney, of Midlane Close, Cranbourne, Basingstoke, has donated cash towards the tsunami appeal - but wanted to do something practical to help as well.

The 37-year-old said: "I just felt that throwing money at it wasn't enough.

"I saw this collection in the paper, went to the supermarket and pretty much did the shopping list."

Volunteers filled nearly seven lorries and transit vans with items over the two days. The majority of the donations were flown out to the Maldives yesterday.

But, because of the overwhelming amount of aid donated, a further two vans will be loaded today to be flown out later this week.

John Willats, of The Rotary Club of Basingstoke Deane, said: "Both days were fantastic and we had an overwhelming response from everyone. It was a real team effort and everyone worked together

"Giving money is simple but everyone felt they actually wanted to donate time and effort too to help - and that is what we did.

"People with different skills were just offering their services. One firm even delivered pizzas to us to keep the volunteers going. It was brilliant."

Meanwhile, staff at Allders in Basingstoke have kick-started a week-long aid collection for the Friends of the Maldives.

The collection was the brainchild of staff who work in the perfumery department at the Castle Square department store.

Chris Parsons, a Christian Dior consultant, said: "We are asking all the staff to bring things in for the appeal."

And offenders from Basingstoke have also pitched in to help by sorting the mountains of second-hand items that have flooded into Oxfam shops across the county.

Eight offenders - supervised by the Hampshire branch of the National Probation Service - visited Oxfam branches in Alton, Farnborough and Farnham to collect donations before taking them to an empty shop in Winchester to be sorted. The items were then taken back to the shops to be sold.

David Scott, chief officer of Hampshire's probation service, said: "We have given this priority over all other work undertaken for the community.

"This appalling disaster has touched every section of the community and it is fitting that offenders sentenced to repay society with unpaid work should be involved."