A BID to raise funds for a leading North-East charity has been kicked off by two of the region's football stars.

Newcastle United's Steve Harper and Alan Shearer took time off from playing to read a book - aimed at raising funds for the Clarke Lister Brain Haemorrhage Foundation.

The Best of Goffy's Ten Grand Gags features many of the entries in Century FM's £10,000 joke competition and now they have been compiled in book form with all of the proceeds going to the foundation.

Carole Lister, who set up the foundation following the death of her ten-year-old son, Clarke, from a brain haemorrhage, said: "We were thrilled to bits when Alan and Steve agreed to support the book."

Carole, from Peterlee, has now set a £1.2m target, not only to raise money for research but to set up a support system for survivors of brain haemorrhages and their families