LEDBURY pensioner Jo Benson has reached a landmark in a seven-year campaign to help children in war-torn lands.

This Christmas, a child will be wearing the 1,000th jumper knitted by Mrs Benson, gifts that have gone to needy children in eastern Europe and Asia.

The 81-year-old, of Born Court, said: "The poor little children always suffer. Adults know what war is about, but the children do not know.

"I get great satisfaction from doing this, because some of these countries are quite cold and it makes me happy to know that children will be warmer."

All of the jumpers, including the most recent batch of 50, have been handled by the Malvern branch of Oxfam, where she first picked up a pattern in 1997.

Mrs Benson, who is 90 per cent blind, said: "To knit 1,000 was a landmark. It just grew and grew, and I decided to make it a thousand and put more gusto into it. Now I think I'll take it a bit easier."

Despite this, she is half way through another 50.