WALKERS are being urged to get their charity boots laced up to help the Lancashire Evening Telegraph Magic Eye Appeal.

The appeal hopes to raise £200,000 for endoscopic ultrasound equipment which will benefit patients throughout the whole of East Lancashire with the quicker diagnosis of stomach and throat cancer.

So far 745 people are signed up and ready to walk for the scanner.

But so far only 39 people have decided to walk in Nelson, 65 in Burnley and 49 in Rossendale.

Judith King of Lyndhurst Road, Burnley, works in the finance department at Job Centre Plus in Penny Street, Blackburn, and is drumming up support for the walk by circulating more than 20 sponsorship forms.

"It is not an easy task as I have had to get support from the powers that be and you are often in competition with other people doing events" she said.

"But I am working as hard as possible to raise money.

"This is something very close to my heart and everyone here is giving me lots of support."

Tracy Marland will be leading the way for 10 children from Huncoat Methodist Youth Club who will be taking part in the walk.

"They are really excited as they have never done a sponsored walk before and we hope to raise in the region of £800.

"We have had a really great response so far from the sponsorship forms that have been circulated."

Burnley and Pendle representative Brian Foster today called for the people of Burnley to "get ready to hike!"

"It is really important that we support the appeal now and get into action" he said.

"This could be the biggest fundraiser of the appeal and we need lots of willing helpers to do their bit. Raising money through the walk is really easy, not to mention the feel good factor. We are all trying to raise money for something that anyone of us could need at one stage or another."

To register for the walk call the hotline on 01254 293634.