Restaurants serving up charity aid

An award-winning restaurant group has raised nearly £6000 for a children's charity thanks to a kids' dining scheme.

Italian eateries restaurants Vittoria on the Walk, Vittoria on the Bridge and La Favorita have raised the cash for the Forth One and Forth2 Cash for Kids appeal after introducing a special meal deal.

It offered families the chance to pay just 1 for a normally priced 5.50 child's meal when accompanied by a full paying adult. All proceeds were donated.

Owner Tony Crolla is planning to continue the initiative throughout the rest of the year and into 2011, with the hope it will raise even more money for the charity, which provides grants for disabled and disadvantaged children in Edinburgh, the Lothians and Fife.

Mr Crolla said: "We are really pleased with the fantastic amount of money we have raised so far.

"We started the scheme at our restaurants back in April 2009, raising more than 7000 that year and since then have continued to raise more and more money for the charity, with the total amount raised now sitting at 12,000."