SICK children were left with beaming smiles as thousands of pounds-worth of Lego was delivered to the hospital.

Great Western Hospital play specialists heralded the gift as “wonderful”.

It came courtesy of charity Fairy Bricks, which donated £2,400 of brand new Lego kits to the hospital’s children’s unit.

The money was given by generous Lego fans who attended the Great Western Brick Show at STEAM over the weekend.

The donation came not a moment too soon for Claire Parks, senior health play specialist, who has been at GWH for 13 years.

She said the last major donation of Lego to the hospital had been made back in 2014.

“When I was told yesterday that we were getting it again, I was really happy,” said Claire. “Our big box of Lego had disappeared.”

More than 50 boxes of Duplo and Lego were donated to the unit, including a Lego Friends hot dog stand and Lego Ninjago ninja truck.

Claire said: “The quantity, the variety and the different age ranges are great. It’s just going to make such a difference.

“Through play, the children forget why they’re in hospital. They get better quicker.”

The unit has beds for 22 children, looking after poorly youngsters requiring everything from surgery to long-term care.

Warren Pereira, five, was about to leave the hospital after a check-up with doctors. His eyes lit up as he saw the box-fresh Lego arrive into the unit’s play room.

Asked why he liked it, Warren said: “You can build stuff with it.”

Mum Nancy, 41, said: “He saw something sticking out of the box and said, ‘I know – that’s Lego.’ He was running up and down the corridor.”

It was four-year-old Galiene’s first experience of Lego. “I think it’s nice,” she grinned.

Lisa Utting, a fundraiser with Great Western Hospital charity Brighter Futures, said: “When Fairy Bricks phoned us this week we didn’t really know what we’d be getting.

“Then, when the boxes arrived, we were blown away.”

Kev Gascoigne, “Chief Fairy” at Fairy Bricks, the charity he founded three years ago, said: “Lego works. Children are in an environment that’s alien to them. It’s a difficult time. You see them pick up that Lego set and they’re transported somewhere else.”