TWO people are taking messages of sympathy and support from York to New York this week as America struggles to recover from the terrorist atrocity.

The Dean of York, the Very Reverend Raymond Furnell, is to present a cheque for $10,000 from the Minster to boost the appeal for bereaved families.

And Acomb leading firefighter Tom Warnock is to present messages sent by Evening Press readers last month in support of the fire brigade appeal to help the families of firefighters killed in New York.

Tom, 40, who has been a firefighter in North Yorkshire for 20 years, said he had been planning for 14 months to go on holiday to New York with his brother Paul, a Tadcaster firefighter, and also a retained firefighter from Acomb, Steve Brown.

They planned to call in on a fire station during their stay, but after the terrorist attack on the World Trade Centre, they had been invited to the New York Fire Department headquarters in Manhattan.

They wanted to show solidarity and support with their American counterparts. "The fire brigade is like a massive big family," he said.

Scores of Evening Press readers sent donations last month to the appeal to help the families of New York firefighters, raising more than £5,000 towards more than £96,000 collected across the county.

Many sent heartwarming and moving messages of sympathy and support for the hundreds of rescuers who were killed while trying to save others from the inferno.

Tom agreed to hand these over to the fire department commissioner during his visit to the HQ.

The Dean, who was travelling to America today, said he would be presenting three books of condolence signed by people in York as well as the cheque.

"This will be a further expression of our sympathy and concern in troubled times," he said.

Updated: 16:00 Tuesday, October 16, 2001