A MAMMOTH clothing drive to help victims of the devastating Typhoon Haiyan has accumulated 153 boxes stuffed full with more than 15,000 items.

Bournemouth taxi-driver Tarif Ali who organised the clothing collection is now planning on flying out to the Philippines to ensure the delivery reaches those in desperate need.

With the help of generous donations from several mosques, schools and fellow taxi drivers, 38 boxes have been filled with ladies’ clothes, 33 with men’s and 25 with children’s.

There are also six boxes stuffed with shoes, eight with blankets and towels and six with jackets.

Overwhelmed by the generosity and quality of the donations, Tarif said: “I want to thank all the public because the response has been incredible. “I just want to make sure that all the clothes reach those who really need it. Other charities are helping with food, water, medical supplies and the rebuild, so I thought it would be helpful to send over as many clothes as possible because these people have lost everything.”

Members of the Humanity Help Foundation offered to help sort, pack and store the clothes and boxes which were all donated by Sealed Air.

Bournemouth Jamei Mosque in Winton and Bombay Express in Moordown acted as collection points and donations poured in from all the Bournemouth mosques.

The father-of-two, who has a nine-year-old daughter Leila and a six-year-old son Ryyan, also enlisted the help of Stourfield Infant School and Pokesdown Primary.

Tarif is now planning to organise a similar clothing drive to help Syrian refugees. He said: “Seeing how much of a success this collection has been, I now want to help those who have fled the Syrian civil war.”

The Daily Echo Typhoon Haiyan appeal raised more than £16,000.