ELECTRICIANS have stripped off for a calendar to raise funds for a colleague suffering from locked-in syndrome.

The sparkies, from Bedale, North Yorkshire, wore just blue helmets and toolbelts to cover their modesty when they posed among step ladders, drills, nail guns and cable for the 2014 calendar, which is being revealed at a free fundraising night at Bedale Hall tomorrow.

They are hoping to raise thousands of pounds for their friend, electrician Steve Walsh, 50, who suffers from locked-in syndrome after a brain stem stroke in March.

Mr Walsh, who ran his own electrician business, has been on a ventilator since the stroke, which left wife Michaela, 40, and sons Sam, 15, and Matthew, 13, devastated.

But the family has had fresh hope since Mr Walsh had a tracheotomy and started mouthing words. He has also had slight movement in his feet and shoulders.

Heartbroken friends set up the Halcyon Trust to raise funds for any equipment or house conversions the family might need. So far they have raised £30,000.

Now they are hoping their high voltage calendar will generate even more cash.

Mr July – electrician Tommy Smith, 29 – rallied the local sparkies for the photoshoot by Sedgefield photographer Richard Sanderson.

“We had a few drinks for courage and they all got into the swing of it,” said Mr Smith.

“Steve really laughed when Michaela showed him the photographs.

‘‘He couldn’t believe I’d had a fake tan especially for it.

“I worked for Steve for seven years and he is a great bloke.

‘‘He’d do anything to help anyone, and now it’s our turn to help him.”

Trustee Claire Mosby said: “Now Steve is able to mouth words to Michaela and the boys, he’s been able to tell the boys that he’s okay and Michaela that he loves her.

He’s more relaxed, but we want the old Steve back.

“We hope one day he’ll breathe without the ventilator and regain movement and speech.

‘‘People have worked through this condition, but it can be a long process.

“Steve would never have posed for our calendar, but he’d have had a good laugh.”

To order a copy of the calendar, costing £10, visit halcyontrust.wordpress.com