A HOST of celebrities and VIPs have thrown their weight behind a once-in-a-lifetime walk on the new M65 extension.

Organisers are hoping that Motorway Superwalk '97 will raise £100,000 for the East Lancashire SuperScan Appeal.

Between 5,000 and 10,000 walkers are expected to take part in the event on August 31. Fund-raisers are hoping that the walk will provide the turning point in the effort to buy an Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scanner.

Blackburn Rovers star Colin Hendry, motorcycle king Carl Fogarty and Burnley boss Adrian Heath are among the big names to support the event which covers a total of 14 miles.

Ian Woolley, chairman of the Blackburn Hospitals' Trust, launched the event yesterday.

He said: "This will be the biggest event of the whole appeal. I have been amazed by the generosity of the East Lancashire public and I am sure they will rise to the occasion again."

The new motorway extension is expected to open later this year. Doctors view the MRI scanner as a medical necessity and they are confident it will drastically reduce waiting lists.

Patients currently have to travel to Preston and Manchester for scans.

Adrian Heath said: "Anything that will improve the health of local people has got to be supported."

Bob Jones, project director for Alfred McAlpine-AMEC Joint Venture, said: "This walk will be a fitting conclusion to a successful scheme."

ln a joint statement, the six East Lancashire mayors, said: "These investments will benefit the health and livelihoods of thousands of people for many years to come.

"The M65 will open up numerous opportunities for business, commerce and leisure activities and help to put East Lancashire firmly on the map.

"The MRI scanner will detect cancers and other serious diseases with great accuracy. Early and accurate diagnosis will save lives.

"You will only have one opportunity to walk along this section of the new M65. It will certainly be a day to remember for all the family."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.