SAINTS star Dan Petrescu has helped kick-start the new NSPCC Cash for Kids campaign aimed at helping needy children this Christmas with leftover foreign currency.

The Romanian defender joined Alliance & Leicester (A&L) staff at their Above Bar branch yesterday, where the former World Cup player helped launch the bid to raise cash.

Members of the public are being asked by A&L to send in their leftover European currency which will become worthless upon the birth of the euro on January 1 2002 - when 300m Europeans in 12 European countries begin to say their final farewells to their national currencies.

Tony Burnham, manager of Alliance & Leicester at Above Bar, said: "Dan was terrific and gave the campaign a real lift.

"It's estimated that members of the public have some £500m in small notes and loose change knocking around their homes after their holidays.

"It is vital that people take the time to root out their soon-to-be-worthless cash.

"Many children's lives could be made a lot better."