LIKE many people, the only reason Jan Morter and her husband Tom ever went to Calais was their annual booze cruise to pick up a few bottles of decent plonk.

That was until August.

Days before the Abingdon couple were due to set off, national media filled with pictures of Syrian boy Alan Kurdi’s body washed up on a Turkish beach following his family’s attempt to flee the horrors of their homeland.

Mrs Morter, a trumpet teacher and mum-of-two, realised she would not be able to go and by luxuries for herself while beleaguered refugees like the Kurdis filled up increasingly crowded camps just minutes’ walk away.

She said: “We normally go for luxuries, but after seeing that I just felt I couldn’t spend the money on food for myself. It was shocking to think of people living in such awful conditions just four hours from my door.”

They consulted a map and realised how close the camps were to Calais town centre.

So, instead of driving down with an empty car ready to fill up with wine, the couple filled the car with things they hoped would help: three family tents they no longer wanted; some ski jackets; four sleeping bags and some warm socks.

They used their Tesco Clubcard points to buy two Eurotunnel tickets and set off.

When they arrived, charity aid workers helped them find the people most in need of the donations they had brought.

Mrs Morter, who sits on Abingdon Town Council, said: “This is right on our doorstep, and when you go there you can personally hand over a tent to someone and literally put a smile on their face.”

Having left at 8.30am, the couple completed their mission and were back home by 10pm.

When they told friends and neighbours their story, they were inundated with offers from people who wanted to help but didn’t know how.

They set up an online fundraising page and raised £450 from 20 donations.

Six people came to the house in person to drop off donations – six camping chairs; two tents, three sleeping bags, six duvets and some blankets.

Someone else gave them a package containing 200 tealights, jam jars and some matches.

Waitrose in Abingdon gave the couple 20 toiletries bags, each containing a toothbrush, toothpaste and soap.

Piled high with donations, the couple are returning to Calais tomorrow.

They plan to ask aid workers what they could best spend the £450 on, then go and buy supplies at a local supermarket, helping the economy which has not benefitted from the town’s growing reputation as the home of swarming migrants.

Mrs Morter added: “It’s just such an easy way to make a difference, we thought ‘we have to’.”

Donate at crowdfunding.justgiving.com/jan-morter.