A group of Billingley women have knitted their way through 80 sets of baby clothes for Ugandan 'fish and chip babies'.

The name comes from the high levels of poverty experienced by many families in the southern African nation meaning they cannot clothe their babies when they are born - wrapping them in newspaper instead.

After catching wind of an appeal for knitted vests and caps from a Barnsley Hospital midwife, Chapel Lane resident and head of the village's ladies' group, Lynn Bembridge, rallied the troops to get their needles out.

Lynn, 67, said: "One of the midwives at Barnsley Hospital mentioned these 'fish and chip' babies who have no clothes so I said 'give me a pattern and I'm sure one or two will get knitting.'

"There are about 20 in the ladies' group and they've knitted 80 vests and hats - they're absolutely beautiful and are in very bright colours so I think they deserve a thank you. One lady has knitted 23 already and it's an ongoing project, there's never an end to it."

Uganda is a former British colony and one of the poorest countries in the world - with more than 30 per cent of the population living under the poverty line and earning less than 80p a day.

The country was infamous in the 1970s for the bloody rule of dictator Idi Amin.