ShelterBox team arrives in China

A woman takes refuge at an internally displaced persons camp in Chengdu

Aid workers from the Cornwall-based charity Shelterbox have arrived in China to bring boxes of aid to people affected by last week's earthquake.

Shelterbox, which is based in Helston, is supplying 400 boxes, each containing enough equipment to house a family of 10 for six months.

A further 1,000 boxes are being packed in Helston to be sent to China.

Pat Prendergast from the charity has travelled to Sichuan's capital Chengdu to start work to distribute the aid.

He said he was liaising with local people to work out the best places for the tents when the first consignment of aid arrives in the country on Saturday.

"People often ask us whether we are making a difference," said Mr Prendergast.

"Once you put a family in a tent and they are in the dry then you have already made a difference."

The official death toll from the quake on 12 May is now more than 41,000, and another 32,000 people are still missing.

The charity had also recently sent 1,600 boxes to Burma to assist the victims of the cyclone.