FRIDGES and shopping trolleys were among the items found when Otley Rotary Club members organised a litter- picking session.

Within a period of two hours three members had collected 20 bags of litter and rubbish along the side of the Ilkley old road at the recent event.

They also asked Leeds City Council to arrange for the removal of a large number of bigger items, such as fridges and shopping trolleys.

Details of the litter pick were outlined along with other news in a report from the Rotary club.

A spokeswoman said: "President Stephen was pleased to tell members that the final total raised from his recent Santa Run around Otley was an excellent £500, and he thanked everyone who had supported him.

"This amount will go to the Skipton-based Principal Children’s Trust which is Stephen’s chosen charity for the year. The charity provides free holidays and respite breaks for under-privileged and disadvantaged children or those with a life-threatening illness.

"The Club opened their meeting last Thursday with a discussion on the best way to help with humanitarian Aid for India. It was decided to liaise with the Rotary Club of Aireborough who already have a well-established link with a Rotary club in Tamil Nadu.

"Our club agreed to donate £600 towards buying and transporting oxygen concentrators out to Chennai within the next few days.

"The guest speaker at last week’s meeting was Sharon Evans, community fundraising officer for the Children’s Air Ambulance. This is a little-known service which transports sick children aged from new-born babies to children up to the age of 18.

"The service has two specially equipped helicopters which transfer sick children from one hospital to another, specialist, hospital They are equipped with special baby ‘ pods’ ad have four seats, 3 for members of the clinical team and one seat for the child’s parent.

The service was established in 2012 and has two new, bright green helicopters, one based in Oxford and one based in Doncaster. They receive no Government funding, and do not charge the NHS for their service.

"They are in fact ‘flying intensive care units’, they have a maximum speed of 165 mph and reach any hospital within 50 minutes, 4 times faster than if the child was transported by road."