FAIRPLACE Church dedicated this year's Samaritans Purse Operation Christmas Child Shoe Boxes on Sunday.

The Wives and Friends Group of Fairplace Church have been working all year raising money and making items to go in the shoe boxes.

Shirley Webb, secretary of the group, said: 'We were able to fill 366 boxes this year.

'Many thanks are due to not only the members of the Wives and Friends but many more friends at Fairplace Church and others in Okehampton and even Exeter who help with knitting the many hats, mittens and scarves needed for each box.'

Fairplace Church acts as a drop off point for other churches and groups in the area and the first van load of Christmas boxes will be leaving Fairplace Church today (Thursday) at about 9am.

They are taken to a warehouse in Exeter where they are checked and then packed into cartons ready to be forwarded to Europe in time for Christmas.