DUNSTER First School pupils Louis and Olivia Stanbury enlisted the help of the entire village when they decided to help orphaned orang-utans following a chance meeting with wildlife campaigner Annie Birtwell.

The pair met Annie at the end of last year and were told how she split her time between the UK and Borneo, where she helped care for the orphaned baby apes.

They were told that the orang-utans were facing extinction as their forests were being cut down for timber and decided to do what they could to help.

They appealed to classmates and local residents to donate towels which Annie could take to Borneo with her to be used as hammocks and bedding for the baby orang-utans.

On Tuesday, Annie was the special guest at a school assembly in Dunster and was presented with almost 100 towels which had been donated over the last three months.

Annie told the pupils about her work in places such as the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre in North Borneo and gave all the children a photograph of a baby orang-utan.

Headteacher Peter Hoyland thanked everyone who had supported the appeal, especially Louis and Olivia.

"Everyone was delighted to help with this project and it was a wonderful opportunity for the children to meet Annie, someone who has given up their life to help orphaned orang-utans.

"We are all very proud of Louis and Olivia, who showed great initiative in getting the whole school to help by collecting towels for the baby orang-utans."

Photo: Steve Guscott