HUDDERSFIELD Quakers hope their songs to end war will aid a weapons conversion scheme.

The Quakers held a concert to help raise money to buy a decommissioned tank in the African country of Sierra Leone.

The group aims to raise £1,000 to pay blacksmiths to turn the tank into farm tools.

A bitter civil war has left the country depleted of tools.

The tank is being converted as part of the "swords into ploughshares" project, being run by UK charity Alleviating Poverty Together.

The project helps blacksmiths and tinsmiths to access materials by obtaining guns and other weapons disarmed by the UN.

The tank being bought by the Quakers will create 3,000 items to equip a farming village of 100 families.

The group raised more than £650 towards their goal with a Songs To End War concert.

Songs, from across the world, were sung by 38 performers on the theme of love, peace and an end to war.

Featured performers included True Colours, a Huddersfield gospel group of young people, and Supriya Nagarajan, a classical Indian singer from Batley.

The concert was held at the group's meeting house in Church Street, Paddock.

All of the performers gave their time for free.

Tom Taylor, who organised the event, said: "People were fantastically generous with their talents and money."