Talented youngsters at a Bradford performing arts school will dazzle in a display of dance and music to help save a threatened toy library from closure.

Liz Davies, of Stardom School of Performing Arts, wanted to boost the Telegraph & Argus Save Our Play appeal because Bradford Toy Library has supported her son Joseph.

The 11-year-old is autistic and his parents found the specialist toys at the library very useful when he was younger.

More than a thousand youngsters are members of the toy library at St Luke's Hospital, Bradford, which lends out specially-designed equipment to develop and stimulate special needs and disabled children.

But the registered charity is running out of cash - it needs £12,000 a year to pay for new toys and two part-time co-ordinators to run it and funds are dangerously low.

The Save Our Play appeal is aiming to raise enough to keep the library going for at least a year, with £1,500 collected already. As well as the toy library, it also houses the Laura Jackson Book Library - one of the biggest collections of books on special needs in the country.

Mrs Davies said the library was very important so they had decided to give half of the proceeds from Stardom's show in February towards the appeal.

"We have used the Laura Jackson book library and the toy library ourselves, particularly in the early years," she said. She said it was a great support to the family, who live in Queensbury, when Joseph was diagnosed at the age of three.

"It was the staff as much as anything because we were completely devastated and they were just fantastic - really supportive. They pointed us in the right direction."

About 160 youngsters aged between three and 18 will perform songs and dance numbers from musicals including Chicago and Mary Poppins in Razzle Dazzle 'Em at the Victoria Theatre in Halifax. Half the proceeds of the show will support the Save Our Play appeal and half will go to Bradford and District Autism Support Group.

Stardom School of Performing Arts, based at Shelf Village Hall on Halifax Road, runs dance, drama and singing classes. The show is on February 20 and 21 with tickets costing £11 for adults and £8 for concessions. Tickets are available from Linda Wilson on (01274) 601290 or the Victoria Theatre on (01422) 351158.