Children in Belarus will have some Christmas cheer from Guiseley School with the gift of shoeboxes filled with presents.

Sixth-formers have packed 65 boxes with gifts including hats knitted by staff, cuddly toys, stationery, gloves, scarves, soap, books, sweets, chocolate, combs and pens.

A spokeswoman for the school said the students from Years 12 and 13 had again exceeded expectations.

“They have managed to collect a mountain of shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child,” she said.

Collections for children around the world have become an established part of Christmas at schools.

The charity Samaritan’s Purse says hundreds of thousands of people all around the UK fill the boxes – to make sure that more than a million children worldwide know they are loved and not forgotten at Christmas.