Large parts of the Kashmir area were damaged in the 2005 quake

Mike Sutton, 65, and his wife Teresa, 66, were stunned when a plumber made the discovery while working in their Bridport bungalow last August.

He found more than 100 artificial limbs and about 100 crutches and walking frames hidden in their cellar.

They are now being taken to Kashmir to help victims of the 2005 earthquake.

The plumber was repairing the bungalow's central heating system when he came across the collection, which includes a mixture of left and right legs of different sizes, most with leather straps attached, and a prosthetic hand.

Mr Sutton said: "My wife was quite amazed when the plumber went down, pulled one of the legs out from this hatch and told her there were hundreds more.

"We didn't even know we had a cellar, let alone what was in it.

"We wondered what to do with them but we are absolutely delighted they are going to be put to some good use and not just thrown away."

Thousands died

The 7.6 magnitude earthquake struck close to Muzaffarabad in Pakistan-administered Kashmir on 8 October 2005 killing nearly 75,000 people and destroying 275,000 houses.

Zafar Khan, chairman of the Limbless Association, which is transporting the limbs to Kashmir, said many of the victims of the earthquake were using heavy wooden prosthesis, with poor quality knee joints, which were uncomfortable and not very functional.

"We are collecting these limbs today in an attempt to try to make a difference to the lives of those who can't afford new prosthesis," Mr Khan added.

"The average wage in Pakistan is £50 a month. State-of-the-art prosthesis cost between £2,000 to £4,000."