THE Deputy Mayor and Mayoress of Preston fulfilled their pledge to support education this week when they handed out hundreds of pounds to local schools.

Ron and Margaret Marshall were distributing the funds raised during their year in office, which included £500 donated by the Preston Citizen for sponsorship of the Mayor's Ball.

Coun Marshall, a former lecturer, said education was a basic human right. He said: "It's a great sorrow to us that inner city schools are struggling for funds. We hope these small amounts will help in some little way."

Other benefactors included disabled table tennis player Lynne Riding to help pay for her trip to the World Games for British Ex-servicemen and Women in America.

Lynne of Starrgate Drive, Larches, Preston, has to train at Southport because she can't find anyone in Preston who is good enough to give her a decent game.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.