AN ITALIAN restaurant in Newport is raising funds for victims of the earthquake that has devastated their homeland.

Gemelli restaurant owners the Cinotti brothers have created a new dish whereby £2 will be donated to charity for every one of it sold.

The twins have named the dish Amatrice, after one of the worst hit towns within the province of the Rieti when the earthquake took place on Wednesday morning.

At the time Sergio Cinotti was visiting family in the country and was just over an hour north.

Pasquale Cinotti, 43, said: “Every time a customer buys one of the dish, a pound of what they pay will go towards the Red Cross and we will put in a further pound to double it.

“We have decided to do this as we try and pull all communities together in support of those effected. We are hoping that others will do something similar as we could not think of a better way to help the people back in Italy.”

So far, more than 250 people have died from the natural disaster with mayor Sergio Pirozzi stating ‘the town is no more’.

When the earthquake hit a magnitude of 5.5 at just after 3am on Wednesday, both brothers were on holiday in different parts of the Mediterranean and only returned back to the city yesterday.

Pasquale Cinotti added: “I was in Greece and was very worried about my brother as I thought he was going to Amatrice for the festival and was concerned as I couldn’t get hold of him, but that would have been next week.

“So many people have lost loved ones or homes, it has been a really sad thing to see. We will be running the dish to support those back in Italy for at least the next month.”

The brothers have traded in the city for the past four years and will be offering the pasta dish at their two restaurants for £13.95. Its ingredients include tomatoes, garlic, pancetta bacon, onions and oil.