PURPLEMAN has returned from his humanitarian mission to Turkey after delivering hundreds of toys to Syrian refugee children.

The street performer and his friend Terry Brett, of the Pyramid Gallery, spent five days in Antakya close to the Syrian -Turkish border, and delivered their cargo of donated toys to children at a refugee school.

Purpleman said he was overwhelmed by the reception he received, and thrilled to see the toys safely delivered to grateful children.

Within an hour of arriving in Antakya, the Turkish border town where the pair based themselves, they were speaking to Save the Children worker Alaa Aldeen Almehemeed, who arranged for them to visit a school run by Syrian volunteers for refugee children, and on Wednesday they made the trip to Anour School in Kirikhan, 24 miles from the border.

He said: "We took the bike quite close to school in the car, and then I got out and rode in.

"The kids started running round and a massive crowd gathered. We were absolutely mobbed, they were desperate to get the toys. We got a phenomenal reception, the children had made a special sign to welcome me. It was overwhelming.

"The teachers told me the children had waited three years for someone to show them love like this."

Now Purpleman is keen to repeat the trip and has thanked the people of York who generously donated toys.

"It's just sad that there are hundreds of thousands of refugees, and I couldn't give a toy to everyone."

The Pyramid Gallery on Stonegate is once again accepting donated toys for Purpleman.