VILLAGERS in a small rural community have come to the support of a young couple whose baby son suffers from a rare condition.

The village of Staindrop in County Durham has rallied round to raise money after hearing about the plight of seven-month-old Jake Jones who suffers from a condition called craniosynostosis.

After hearing that Jake needed a major operation to try to correct the effects of the condition, regulars in the Wheatsheaf Inn agreed to do something to help him and his parents, Elise Margetson and Alistair Jones.

Unlike most babies, the plates in Jake's skull are fused together, which does not allow the brain to grow.

The condition affects one in 2,500 babies and in March, Jake underwent an unsuccessful five-hour operation to try to cure it.

On Tuesday, May 25, Jake will visit James Cook University Hospital for more surgery. Ms Margetson said: "It is a major operation for such a young baby, but Jake's not really aware of what it is."

"We were in the pub one night and mentioned Jake needed an extra operation and didn't think any more of it.

"The next day they asked us to come up to the pub and they had set up a fund-raising committee.

"We've only lived here a year but they made us really feel like a part of the community."

The money raised by the committee will be donated to the James Cook Hospital. Fundraising events include a talent show at Staindrop's Scarth Hall on June 5, from noon to 6pm, football and quoits competitions, sponsored runners in the Raby Fun Run and an auction.

Paul Stephenson, who is one of the dozen members of the fundraising committee, said: "It's just one of those things where everybody wanted to do something.

"There were grown men holding back tears when they heard about what he had been through and seen photographs of him."