A SUPER mum from a Winchester village has flown hundreds of super capes to needy children in South Africa.

Claudia Beard, owner and pioneer of I Am Super Capes, has wrapped and boxed-up 450 super hero capes for youngsters at Red Cross Children’s Hospital in Cape Town – many of which she has made herself.

The 34-year-old full-time mother, who is originally from Johannesburg, has spent evenings and weekends sewing capes of every colour and design with the help of local friends and well-wishers.

Together with her 27-year-old friend, Rebecca Phillips from Bishopstoke, they have successfully made and packaged dozens of boxes which she flew out to South Africa on Tuesday (Dec 16).

“We’ve got dinosaurs, we’ve got power rangers, it’s been amazing,” Mrs Beard said. “There are so many different colours and children are just so happy looking at them.”

She said her son, two-and-a-half-year-old Chase, who lives with her at Bourne View home in Twyford, was sad to see the Noddy cape go but enjoyed running around the garden pretending to be a real super hero.

“I was looking to do something special,” she added. “I’ve done the Philippines and other refugees but I wanted to do something quite close to home.

“It’s taken me quite a few months I can tell you! I’ve had teams of people helping me out; roughly four to five months of work.

“We’ve even been send some from all over the UK – it’s just something to put a smile on a child’s face.”