POPULAR Irish folk band the Wild Cats of Kilkenny are revving up for a charity gig in Darlington.

The four-piece band has agreed to perform at Darlington Arts Centre on May 11, with all proceeds going to the Darlington Diabetes Retinal Camera Appeal.

Using their own unique approach to traditional Irish music, the band members never fail to get audiences on their feet.

For Bruce Rollo, double bass player by night and Darlington ambulance driver by day, the news of the charity gig came as a shock.

"Apparently, flyers advertising the gig went up all over Darlington Memorial Hospital a couple of weeks ago," said drummer, Simon Wigington. "The trouble was that Bruce didn't know anything about it.

"People in the hospital were coming up to him to buy a ticket and all he could do was look puzzled. He got a surprise when he was shown the posters, but when he found out what it was for he was delighted."

Fiddle player Mike McGrother, and Andrew McIntyre, who plays keyboard, are both music teachers at Stockton and Billingham College, and Mr Wigington works for the Learning and Skills Council in Middlesbrough.

Mr Wigington added: "We don't play Darlington very often but the last time we were at the arts centre it was packed and turned out to be a really good night."

The appeal aims to raise £60,000 to equip Darlington Memorial Hospital with a digital camera to detect eye problems in people with diabetes.

The night kicks off at 8pm with a disco, followed by the Wild Cats at 9pm. Tickets cost £6 and are available from the arts centre box office on 01325 486555.