AN APPEAL to buy a guide dog for a young man who has been left blind through diabetes has almost reached its target.

Kevin Connelly, 23 from Colne has had diabetes since he was seven, and because of the illness has now lost his sight completely.

A series of fundraising events have already taken place in Colne for Kevin and so far about £4,000 has been raised towards the £5,000 it would cost to train a guide dog.

Now two local bands, The Fix and Kinda Kinks, have organised a gig at Colne Conservative Club to try and come up with the rest of the money for the dog after hearing of his plight.

Kevin said: "This guide dog really will mean a lot to me. I have started to adapt to my loss of sight but still after living in Colne all my life I have still found myself getting lost in the town.

"With the dog hopefully there'll be no more grazes, knocking teeth out or head bangs. I've got so many scars on my knees from falling over.

"One of the band members from Kinda Kinks contacted me after hearing about my previous fundraising attempts and asked if they could help out. They recruited friends of their band The Fix to play as well."

Kevin, a former pupil of Park High School, was studying nursing at the University of Central Lancashire but his vision deteriorated so rapidly that he had to quit the course four months before he was due to graduate.

He had to give up his dream of nursing to but has now achieved his first certificate in counselling at Nelson and Colne College and is due to start the second certificate in September "A friend suggested counselling to me. He said a lot of people who are blind study counselling and I've always wanted to work in the care sector so it seemed like a great idea," he said.

Fundraising events have already taken place for Kevin including a sponsored cops and robbers pub crawl through Colne, a swimathon and a sponsored leg wax which Kevin and several friends took part in.

Kevin said: "I don't know what women complain about, I didn't think it was that bad.

"I would like to thank both bands and all the people who are helping me raise the money."

Local bands, The Fix and Kinda Kinks, will play at Colne Conservative Club on Friday September 14, and tickets cost £3 and can be obtained by ringing the family's fundraising mobile on 07925 868787.

Any fundraising money left over help Kevin and others who are blind.