STAFF at a Worcester-based charity have made a desperate plea for cash - after the floods put paid to a major fundraising event.

Much-needed money was to have been raised for Leukaemia CARE by last weekend's city road race, but organisers were forced to call it off.

The charity is running out of cash to pay for its free-phone helpline, a 24-hour number that is used by thousands of people who need someone to speak to and help them cope with their illness.

"We've got to find that money somewhere," said Eve Martin, network operations manager.

"We desperately need that money now - we were looking to raise £5,000 to £6,000 from the road race.

"The careline costs from £500 to £700 a quarter to run.

"It's open 24-hours for people who are suffering from leukaemia to get support.

"When they're receiving treatment they can talk to nurses and other support staff, but when they get home they might need someone to talk to. We try to provide that."

Volunteers often speak to 500 callers in any 24-hour period.

The charity said that 14,000 people were diagnosed with leukaemia or other blood disorders every year, and although theirs is a national organisation, many of the callers were from Worcester.

The charity now hopes that any sponsorship money that has already been handed in will be given to them.

"We entirely agree with what the council has done in cancelling the race, but this has caused such a problem - we were relying on this money to fund the line.

"We're looking for any company that was looking to support a charity to help us fund the careline."

The race had already been postponed once in September when the fuel crisis caused chaos across the country.

If anyone would like to contribute to the Leukaemia CARE charity they can call 01905 724659.

The freephone helpline can be reached on 0800 169 6680.