A PRESTON wildlife artist is raffling off some of his rarest pieces so that schoolchildren in India can learn about saving endangered tigers.

Michael Jackson, 42, of Roach Road, Hoghton, is hoping to raise enough money to add another building to an existing primary block, for which he is the namesake.

The 500 infants and juniors will then be able continue their schooling up to the age of 18 and learn more about how to save endangered species of tigers.

He plans to raffle off one of his framed limited edition tiger prints, which is one of only 120 worldwide, a boxed edition of his book, An Artist's Reflection of India, and some unframed prints at the Brownedge Festival at St Mary's Church, Brownedge Lane, Bamber Bridge, on May 19.

The majority of funding has been promised by an American charity on the condition the school raise £25,000.

Mr Jackson, who has been painting for 20 years, has taken on the task of finding £10,000 of that sum.

The school, the only one of its kind in a 200-mile radius, was set up to educate young people to realise endangered species of tigers should not be killed for money.

The site is at Sawai Madhopur, in north west India, next to the Ranthambor National Park, a habitat where many of the tigers can be found.

He said: "When I first started the school I wanted to do something that would make a real difference and I thought the only way to change things was to educate the next generation.

"By extending the school the children can continue their schooling and hopefully will learn the benefits of eco-tourism and realise that the benefits tourism brings can only be a good thing."