THE North Yorkshire firefighters' campaign to raise cash for their colleagues in New York following the September 11 terrorist attacks is to close at the end of the year - with the fund already standing at £113,000.

North Yorkshire's chief fire officer, Eric Clark, has thanked local people for their response to the efforts by the county's firefighters to raise funds for the families of those who lost their lives in the disaster.

In a letter to Evening Press editor Liz Page, he says: "In addition to being overwhelmed by the strength of support from the public, I was also very pleased to see the support and commitment your newspaper has given our firefighters, thus significantly raising the profile and increasing the funds raised.

"You will be pleased to know that our wildest expectations have been surpassed and, at the time of writing this letter, just after a few short weeks, the fund stands at an impressive £113,000. I would be pleased if through your paper, you would pass on my grateful thanks and that of all the personnel in North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service to the communities in the City of York and throughout North Yorkshire. I am convinced that had you not displayed the level of support that you have, this figure would not be so great.

"The decision has been taken to close this fund on Monday, 31st December 2001. I would be pleased if you could also publicise this fact and ask your readership to ensure any outstanding monies are deposited before this date.

"We intend to pass the money over to the New York Firefighters by the end of January 2002.

"As you know, firefighters are held in high regard by the public, and I would like to think that the success of this appeal is a culmination of this, as well as the desire of the public to offer tangible support to the American people affected by this atrocity."

Updated: 10:31 Tuesday, November 13, 2001