The first Operation Christmas Child warehouse in Shropshire will be opened next month to cope with thousands of shoe boxes full of presents, organisers said today.

The national charity said it was inundated with so many boxes of gifts last year it would have to open a warehouse in Telford. The charity, which sends millions of presents to poor eastern European countries, today revealed Halesfield was a possible site.

It will open on November 3 and up to 100 volunteers will sort through the boxes and load them into containers to be sent to countries such as Belarus, Serbia and Romania.

Boxes donated by people in Telford were previously sent to the charity’s Hereford warehouse and boxes handed over in Shrewsbury were sent to Wrexham.

Charity volunteer Elaine Udakis said it was exciting news and followed months of work. Telford people handed in 7,000 shoe boxes last year.

Mrs Udakis, of Wellington, appealed for businesses and shops to act as drop-off points. She said: “For the first time Shropshire is going to have its own Operation Christmas Child warehouse.

“This is excellent news – absolutely fantastic. It’s so exciting.”

Mrs Udakis said she first got involved with the charity through a Sunday school project at Oakengates United Church and Lawley Primary School, where she works.

“All we need now is business and shop owners to offer to act as drop-off points for three weeks,” she said.

“The children who receive these boxes have never had gifts before. The idea is for them to have just a little bit of fun when they open the boxes to find such luxuries including something as basic as a toothbrush.

“It has taken from last year to organise this new Telford warehouse, but the last four or five months it has finally all come together.”

Operation Christmas Child is run by the international charity Samaritans Purse. Last year 1.3 million boxes were sent from the UK. Anybody who has premises to offer as a drop-off point should contact Mrs Udakis on (01952) 247345.

By Kirsty Smallman