GENEROUS East Lancashire people have pulled out all the the stops for ethnic Albanian refugees due to arrive in the area on Monday night.

Local information centres have been inundated with donated goods and inquiries from people keen to give the refugees a warm welcome.

Calderstones Hospital, Whalley, has been on stand-by to house Kosovars fleeing the troubled Balkans since April.

Up to 300 refugees, mostly women, children and the elderly, will be housed at the former mental hospital for up to three months.

The temporary village will have its own school, shop, social club, medical team and mobile dentist.

Volunteers from the Red Cross, Women's Royal Voluntary Service and Ribble Valley Council have been working non-stop to make sure the village is fully-equipped and furnished in time for their arrival.

An emergency appeal was launched for toys, good-quality clothing, baby equipment, such as cots and pushchairs, and electrical equipment, including TVs, radios and videos.

Staff at local information centres, who have been collecting the goods, said they have been inundated with items.

Anne Yeoman, at the Blackburn Information Centre, said: "We have received bags and bags of items, including clothes, books and toys. People have given a lot more than we expected and have been very generous."

The Clitheroe Tourist Information Centre has received five televisions, as well as three prams and more than 20 bags of clothes.

"The response has been fantastic, far better than we thought it would be. The good people of Lancashire never cease to amaze me," David Johns said.

Staff at the Accrington Information Centre said the response had been good, with local schoolchildren donating special shoeboxes containing gifts.

The Burnley Information Centre had also been "inundated wish inquiries" from people looking to donate goods and offer their time.

People wishing to donate goods can leave them at information centres at Accrington, Burnley and Nelson Bus Stations; Railway Road, Blackburn and Market Place, Clitheroe.

They are being asked not to take items directly to Calderstones.

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