From the left, Gemma Roberts, Dorinda Moffatt, Kim Dempsey and Lisa Cox Picture Ref: 78708-95FOUR Swindon women are doing all they can-can for charity by staging a Moulin Rouge fundraising event.

Dorinda Moffat, 25, has convinced three of her friends to don basques and suspenders in aid of the North Wilts branch of the Motor Neurone Disease Association.

The charity is one that Dorinda, of Frobisher Drive, is particularly close to as her father has suffered with the debilitating disease for the last nine years.

She said: "A lot of people don't know about the disease so we want to raise awareness as well as money."

In October last year Dorinda, who works as a physiotherapy assistant at the Great Western Hospital, and a colleague Pauline Webb, raised £1,700 for the organisation when they completed a 42km trek along the Inca trail in Peru.

And now she is hoping to help raise even more with a Moulin Rouge theme party and charity raffle tonight.

More than 50 tickets have already been sold for the party, at £17 each, and there will also be a raffle to boost the coffers.

The four women, who are calling themselves the Diamond Dolly Birds, will be performing songs which featured in the film starring Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor.

They have even received a letter of support from the real Moulin Rouge in Paris.

Dorinda said: "The letter said they fully support what we're doing and they said they hope we don't show up their can-can girls.

"We're really looking forward to it. Everyone is coming in fancy dress and all the people I have spoken to are in the mood for it."

The three others joining Dorinda on stage are Kim Dempsey, Gemma Roberts and Lisa Cox.

The women got parts of their outfits from the Giant Party Shop, Victoria Road, Swindon and the rest from internet auction site, Ebay.

Louise Carter, spokeswoman for the Motor Neurone Disease Associati-on, said: "We wish Dorinda every success. The MND Association relies on voluntary donations so her fundraising will make an important and valued difference to the care and support we can provide to people with Motor Neurone Disease."

The North Wiltshire Branch of the Motor Neurone Disease Association is seeking volunteers to help organise fundraising events, such as quiz nights and car boot sales. Anyone interested can call Anne Smith on 01793 337711.

Disease can strike at any time

MOTOR Neurone Disease is the name given to a group of related diseases affecting the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord.

As the nerves gradually die, the muscles stop working.

MND is a rapidly progressive, and can affect any adult at any time. The cause of MND is unknown and there is no known cure

It affects around 5,000 people in this country at any one time.

In the UK at least three people a day die from MND. Life expectancy from symptom onset is around two to five years. Half will die within 14 months of diagnosis.

The number of people who will develop MND in any one year is approximately two per 100,000.

The number of people who actually have MND at any one time is approximately seven per 100,000.

Gareth Bethell