A FATHER-OF-TWO and keen Cherries fan is collecting football boots to donate to Romanian orphans.

Jeremy Harfield, dad to Amy, 13, and Josh, seven, will be heading to Oradea in Romania on Friday, December 4, with football kit such as shirts, boots and shin pads for children aged between seven and 14 living in orphanages.

He said: "I went out to Romania with the church I used to go to and met some of the children from Caminul Felix while we were building a house there.

"I got chatting to a man from a youth football team and he said that the club is about teaching them discipline and helping them to make friends while giving them hope.

"However, they can't get sponsorship over there because of the government. Everything there is so expensive, so if you went to a shop, you might have to spend £40 or £50 to buy some football boots and they can't afford it."

Jeremy, of Furbank Road, Charminster, says that so far the money has come out of his own pocket towards 20 pairs of football boots, with donations coming from the mums and dads of some of his children's friends.

Now he is hoping that as many kind-hearted people as possible will either make a donation towards a pair of boots or can donate some clean but unwanted kit of their own. He said that he is happy to collect them from residents, as it all helps towards his collection for the children who have very minimal possessions of their own.

"I'm a parent myself so I know at that age kids will need a new pair every six months, so I am hoping that some parents can donate their kids' old football boots."

Anyone who is able to help can visit Jeremy's website at Cfacademic-sponsorship.org or call him on 01202 514203.