THE landlord and landlady of a Blackburn pub have donated money raised from a sponsored headshave to help fund a trans-Atlantic fact-finding mission for a youngster with a rare disease.

Stuart and Ann Donnelly read about three-year-old Alex Cumberland -- who is one of just 11 Coffin Siris Syndrome sufferers in the country, and 81 worldwide -- in the Lancashire Evening Telegraph and decided to help the youngster.

Alex suffers severe learning difficulties and has problems eating. She will probably need surgery on her spine in a few years and already has to wear a brace to keep her back straight.

Her parents, Helen and Gary, have so far raised more than £4,000 for the trip to San Francisco in the hope they can find out more about the disease at a special conference with some of the country's leading doctors including the man who discovered it, Dr Grange Coffin.

Stuart and Ann, of the Royal Duke Hotel, hosted a sponsored head shave of five customers at their Johnson Street pub after regular Les Cross volunteered to forego his own hair.

The evening raised £106 which will now go to fund the trip planned for May which will also allow the family, of Quebec Road, to meet other families who have been affected by the disease.

Stuart said: "We have raised quite a bit of money for charity in the three years we have been in the pub as the regulars are a generous crowd.

"And when we read about Alex we decided we had to do the latest one for her because she seemed such a special little girl."