PEOPLE with spinal cord injuries are taking to the streets to help raise awareness about the reality of living with the life-long condition.

Today, members of the Spinal Cord Injuries Association (SIA) will be in Middlesbrough's Captain Cook Square between 10.30am and 4pm.

Last year, more than 50 people from the North-East and Cumbria received a spinal cord injury, many as a result of road traffic accidents, sports injuries or falls.

The SIA's regional development officer, John Mansfield, said: "Although most spinal cord injuries result in paralysis an everyday life, a family and a career are still possible with the right advice or support.

"The association provides the information and help which enables people to come to terms with their injury and rebuild their lives."

The regional spinal cord injuries centre at the James Cook University Hospital provides a service for the Northern region from the Scottish border, Cumbria, the North-East, and North Yorkshire.