THE family of a former Lancashire Evening Telegraph Baby of the Year diagnosed with a life threatening brain tumour are backing a sponsored bike ride to raise money for his treatment.

They hope to raise at least £1,000 from the ride from Land's End to Blackburn next week.

Any money raised will go towards the thousands of pounds needed to send John Mark Riding to the US for treatment for cancer, which is not available in Britain.

John Mark, four, formerly of Beech Grove, Darwen, was diagnosed with the rare brain stem glioma just two weeks ago and has been offered radiotherapy treatment at Frenchay Hospital in Bristol to shrink the tumour.

His family were hoping to send him to the MD Anderson Centre in Texas, after hearing doctors there could perform life-saving surgery.

Now they have heard of a New York specialist who has pioneered drug treatment for the condition, which has proved successful.

The child's father, John Riding, who lives in Livesey, Blackburn, said: "The only treatment we have been offered in this country is radiotherapy. But we have heard they can do far more in America. We have heard of a hospital in New York pioneering drug treatment, which could help him significantly.

"Ironically, this drug has been developed in this country. We are told it stops the growth of the tumour and it could give John a much better chance.

"At the moment we are going for the radiotherapy, because we need to do anything which will help him enjoy what bit he has. But once we found out somewhere that can treat him, we will try and raise the money to get him there and pay for the drugs."

If John goes to New York for treatment, the family will have to find the money to get him there, stay for six weeks, pay for the drugs and a small operation to help his breathing.

Although the cost is expected to be less than the £500,000 the family would have needed to send him to Texas, they still expect it will be thousands of pounds.

John said he had gone to stay with John Mark and his mother Jacqueline Sanderson, who now live in Cornwall, as soon as he heard of John Mark's illness.

Four family friends from Blackburn will be staging the sponsored bike ride, which they have scheduled to start on Saturday. They are brothers Kevin, Seamus and Eamonn Hamill, and friend Paul Harrison.

They expect it will take them four days to complete the ride.

The family have also set up a fund to raise money for John Mark's treatment. To donate, phone 07990 992302.