A PARTIALLY-deaf school girl will be able to hear her teacher again after a mystery donor paid for her stolen hearing equipment to be replaced.

Some of Toni Ward's equip-ment was stolen from Har-vington C of E First School, near Evesham, last month.

The eight-year-old, of Ragley Road in Harvington, relies on the £1,000 system to participate in lessons. It transmits the teacher's voice to Toni's hearing aid, via a piece of equipment that hangs around her teacher's neck.

Part of the system was taken from the school between Tuesday, February 7, and Wednesday 8.

Now, following an appeal in the Worcester News, an anonymous well-wisher has offered a donation to pay to replace some of the stolen equipment. The school has also received another anonymous donation.

Sergeant Paul Crumpton, of Evesham police, presented the cheque yesterday, during the school's morning assembly.

Toni's mother, Katrina Hopkins, said: "When the hearing link was stolen, the school was able to provide an alternative system, but it was not as sophisticated or effective as the original equipment and Toni found it hard to pick up everything being said.

"Now, thanks to people's kindness, she is able to hear clearly again.

"We certainly want to add our thanks to the donors, to those from the school." Head teacher Marcia Palmer thanked the kind-hearted people.

"We are very grateful for the support we have received, and grateful too for the concern of the whole school community," she said.

"To have received these donations is marvellous.

"It's really nice to know that people care so much and are concerned for others."

The equipment, which is of little or no use to anyone else, is so vital that parents of fellow pupils have helped to raise cash to have the system moved between classrooms at the end of each year.