A now closed Edinburgh school is sending old tables and chairs to Africa.

Surplus equipment from the former Portobello High building will be taken to Ghana as part of a wider charity project.

Edinburgh City Council liaised with various organisations including charity Chance for Africa to find new uses for 2000 pieces of unwanted equipment from the 1960s building.

A great deal of the school's contents are being moved over to the new premises, which will open to staff and pupils after the October break.

Some of the extra items are being redistributed across the Edinburgh school estate in a bid to save money and reduce waste.

Other recipients include Edinburgh Scouts, Fresh Start and Greyfriars Kirk.

Portobello High head teacher Ruth McKay said: "We're delighted that Portobello High School can provide this much-needed support to schools in Africa.

"Having a new school is giving our pupils a fantastic learning opportunity so it's only appropriate that we bear in mind children in other parts of the world who are less fortunate and do what we can to help them."

Zak Abdulai, founder of Chance for Africa, whose wife and daughter both attended Portobello High School, said: "Many schools in Ghana lack basic learning materials like furniture and books necessary for learning.

"The furniture in many instances is not comfortable or conducive for learning. In some schools, children unfortunately have to sit on the floor or must buy or bring in their own chairs.

"The furniture very generously donated from Portobello High School will go a long way to providing students in Ghana with the resources that will better equip them to learn in a vastly improved learning environment."

He said the extra educational resources will also help staff to become "even better teachers".

It is estimated that the council's "Warp It" online service, which helps to match unwanted equipment with schools and charities which need it, has so far saved the local authority around £325,000.