FOUR teenagers thinking of others this Christmas were overwhelmed by the generosity of shoppers on Saturday.

Beccs Goodman, Fran Birch, Kim Lindsey and Liana Pedrotti packed bags in return for donations from customers at Sainsbury's in Kidderminster and more than trebled their cash target.

Mum Sam Goodman explained: "They thought they would do well to raise £75 but finished with the fantastic total of £278.66."

The students from the town's King Charles I High School were supporting the Christmas Tree Appeal, run by the Shuttle/Times & News in conjunction with HomeStart which helps families with young children across Wyre Forest.

The appeal has brought a huge response from shoppers and readers and more than 250 gifts have already been donated.

Mrs Goodman went on: "They were aiming to buy about 15 presents for the appeal but now they have been able to buy more than twice as many.

"They worked very hard between 9am and 5pm and were thrilled with the results."

The girls organised their fund-raiser as part of a "Making a Difference" school project.

The Christmas Tree Appeal, which closes on Saturday, involves collecting a tag bearing a child's name and age from either the Swan Centre or the Shuttle/Times and News office in Kidderminster.

The tags are then returned attached to an appropriate gift and HomeStart will make sure they are delivered in time for Christmas.

For further details contact Shuttle/Times & News editor Clive Joyce on 01562 633348.