Airline loses gifts of clothes and toys for shanty town children in Africa

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Ben Holt, who runs the African Workshop, which raises money to educate youngsters in Mali, discovered the suitcases were missing after taking an Afriqiyah Airways flight from Gatwick via Tripoli.

The 32-year-old from Stoke Newington was hoping to use his trip to start work building a school near the capital, Bamako, but he also wanted to surprise the children with football kits, sports equipment, soft toys and cameras donated in the UK.

"I used that airline because it allowed me to take a lot of luggage and I had so much stuff for the kids," he said. "I can't believe it's all gone. I arrived at the community centre empty-handed and there were so many kids playing with what I brought over last year. It is heartbreaking not to be able to pass on all the new gifts people have donated."

Mr Holt became involved with the community after meeting a man, Drissa Konate, who was sponsored as a child by his parents through Plan International. A spokeswoman for Afriqiyah Airways said: "We are looking into this. It is a sorry story and we apologise."