CHURCHGOERS from all seven churches in Thornbury, together with others from Alveston and Frampton Cotterell, marked World Debt Day on Sunday by signing Call for Change cards produced by the Jubilee Debt Campaign.

This was part of a chain of actions aimed at continuing the Jubilee 2000 campaign to cancel the unpayable debts of the world's poorest countries.

The Jubilee Debt Campaign is a coalition of agencies such as Christian Aid, Traidcraft and Oxfam all of whom are well supported in South Gloucestershire.

Local Jubilee Debt Campaigners handed the cards to Thornbury Town Mayor, Cllr Alan Jones, who then presented them to Northavon MP Steve Webb. Mr Webb agreed to deliver them the to Chancellor of the Exchequer, Gordon Brown, asking that the UK cancel its share of the remaining unpayable debt of the 42 poorest countries.

For Thornbury Churches Together, St Mary's curate, Julian Perkins, said: "Debt Relief works. In the countries that have benefited the most so far, there has been a 70 percent increase in health spending. Also, primary school fees have been abolished in Uganda, Malawi, Zambia and Tanzania. Recent visitors from Thornbury to our link in Bufumbo, Uganda have seen the improvements there."

Robin Pencavel, from the local Jubilee Debt Campaign group, added: "We believe that, as a matter of justice and an essential step towards meeting the UN's 2015 Millenium development goals, all unpayable poor country debt should be written off as a matter of urgency."

Anyone wishing to support the campaign locally should contact Marian Stephens on 01454 412165.