A KASHMIRI MP visited Banbury to thank residents for their help and support following the 2005 Asian earthquake.

Chaudary Muhammad Rashid,a member of the Kashmir Legislative Assembly, who was a guest of Banbury councillor Alyas Ahmed, said the town had shown great compassion towards victims of the quake.

Local people raised more than £60,000 and also gave clothes and food for the survivors. Money is still being collected to rebuild a school that was demolished in the disaster.

Mr Rashid, comes from Leepa Valley in the Azad district of Kashmir.

He said: "I want to say thank you to the whole Banbury community. Everyone, including the town's schoolchildren, were involved in the fundraising."

He said 72,000 people died, 20,000 people were seriously injured, and 400,000 homes were demolished in the tragedy, and that it would take at least 20 years to rebuild the affected areas.