EAST Lancashire fund-raisers are gradually moving closer to a target of £200,000 to buy state-of-the-art scanner equipment.

Today, thanks to hundreds of events, the total stands at £79,786.

The money will help fund an endoscopic ultrasound scanner which will benefit at least 600 patients a year from the area with a quicker diagnosis of stomach and oesophagus cancer.

But the potential for the equipment, according to consultant surgeon Vishal Kaushik, is "far reaching" and will benefit the whole of East Lancashire.

He said: "This is a tremendous opportunity to put East Lancashire on the map in terms of medical expertise and the equipment will almost certainly have other uses in diagnosing other cancers in the upper gastronomy area."

Members from all sides of the community have been fund-raising for the appeal.

Sheila Shaw, appeal co-ordinator, said: "The support we have seen so far has been tremendous but there is a long way to go and people must carry on their good work."

Six Magic Eye sponsored walks will be staged on October 13 in a bid to boost the appeal further.

Christmas cards and baseball caps are also on sale at the Lancashire Evening Telegraph office in High Street, Blackburn, as well as Queens Park Hospital in aid of the appeal.

Ladies' golf triumph

MONTHS of golf tournaments came to an end with the final of a ladies' Magic Eye Golf tournament.

Experienced players from 17 clubs have been teeing off in aid of the endoscopic scanner appeal with a replica silver claret cup up for grabs.

Winner Joan Whittaker, of Whalley Golf Club, was joined by runner-up Janet Stevens, of Pleasington Golf Club, with "remarkable scores".

Tournament organiser Ian Woolley said: "It was a superb day for golf and the standard of play was second to none.

"The players have ended up raising around £7,000 for the scanner, which is a combined effort from the men and women.

"It is a wonderful effort and everyone had fun doing it. There was a sense of combined effort to achieve something which will benefit the whole of East Lancashire in providing everyone with a scanner."

To make a donation

n Send it to East Lancashire Magic Eye Appeal office, Queen's Park Hospital, Blackburn, BB2 3HH or the Magic Eye Appeal office at Burnley General Hospital, Casterton Avenue. Burnley BB10 2PQ.

n Drop it in to Lancashire Evening Telegraph offices in Blackburn, Burnley, Accrington and Darwen.

n Pay directly into the East Lancs Magic Eye Appeal account at any branch of Lloyds TSB. Make your cheques payable to East Lancs Magic Eye Appeal

n You can also pay on-line at our website www.thisislancashire.co.uk

n For further information on the appeal, contact our newsdesk on 01254 678678, or co-ordinator Sheila Shaw in the appeal office on 01254 293272. You can also contact the Burnley appeal office on 01282 474531.