EALING Times reporter Benedict Moore-Bridger flew to Pakistan on Wednesday to see first hand the devastation caused by October's earthquake.

Some local people have lost family members and seen their home towns reduced to rubble.

Ben hopes to bring back many stories about them, and others affected by the disaster.

He said: "It is going to be an amazing experience. Obviously it will be shocking to see the devastation but this is a great opportunity to see things first hand. The whole point is to raise awareness of what's going on and the need for support. The eyes of the world's media have moved away slightly but the problems are still there."

The trip is being organised by Arif Hussain, a magistrate from High Wycombe. The pair are hoping to visit families of Ealing's Pakistanis. Mr Hussain, 40, has raised more than £40,000 for survivors in Pakistani Kashmir since the disaster struck on October 8, killing 73,000 people.

He wants to raise another £100,000 through his registered charity Five Pillars.

His dream is to build an orphanage near Islamabad, and he is also considering a scheme to allow Ealing people to sponsor houses in a "rebuilt" village.

Mr Hussain said: "You cannot appreciate how terrible it is until you see it. The television does not show you that."

He is appealing to Ealing businesses and well-wishers to help, and says there is a risk that people are forgetting about the victims just as the bitter winter arrives in the mountainous northern province.

Mr Hussain wants to make regular trips and fundraise until he sees an orphanage or a village built.