A CROWDFUNDING project for a documentary about Spitfire planes being built in Trowbridge has achieved its goal of raising £5,700 thanks, in part, to the support of the Wiltshire Times.

After more than two years in the making, director Ethem Cetintas' dream of making a DVD of his Secret Spitfires documentary, which explores how Trowbridge and other places helped make the iconic planes in the Second World War, was all but lost as it was £4,000 off its target.

However after the Wiltshire Times ran a story last month about how Trowbridge woman Joyce Hunt, 95, received a private screening of the archive footage, which includes snippets of her working as a riveter at old Newman Hender factory, the donations began rolling in.

And after Crowdfunder extended the deadline by two weeks, the funds, to pay for copyright fees, have now been raised, much to the delight of Mr Cetintas.

"It has been a great relief to get the support after such a slow start, we were all convinced that this unknown story had more than enough weight to it to create big interest and would attract many people to it," he said.

"We were all disheartened when original interest in the campaign seemed very small. Many of the original comments made were based around challenging the legitimacy of the story.

"It was top secret during the war and never publicized over the years nor spoken about by those who were the workforce.

"But as the campaign started to get momentum with Facebook, Twitter and the press such as Wiltshire Times, BBC Wiltshire Radio and Valley News, others started to come forward.

"Suddenly there were people posting stories and information about their grandparents or relatives who worked in secret factories building Spitfires. This combined with our Spitfire girls giving statements and our answers to the questions changed disbelief to utter surprise and then amazement.

"The Crowdfunder company also noticed this and as you know, extended the deadline by two weeks which is a very unusual action. They too were very impressed with this incredible story and wanted to support it."

Now that the target has been reached, donators will receive copies of the DVD when it is produced and now Mr Cetintas is hoping to get this documentary seen on TV.

"We are so pleased that this self funded project we worked so hard for over two and a half years got the recognition and won the hearts of many kind supporters who have pledged the funds to release the DVD - it is an exciting time," he said.

"Any funds over the amount will be used to support our free schools and care homes screening programme, premieres in secret factory sites as well as building the archive on our website."

The campaign, www.crowdfunder.co.uk/secret-spitfires, ends on Friday at 5pm.