A NORTH-East businessman is joining a host of celebrity names rolling out the carpet for a youngster born without kidneys.

Seventeen-month-old Alice Skinner was born with the one-in-a-million condition and is on a transplant list.

This year, she has already undergone a number of life-saving operations and needs ten hours of dialysis every day because she is too small for a kidney transplant.

Following a number of fundraising efforts, a raffle has been organised as part of a national campaign to raise money for the paediatric renal unit at the Royal Victoria Infirmary hospital in Newcastle.

This has been initiated by Alice's family and Teesside retailers Bernard Povey Carpets, which employs her father, 32-year-old George Skinner. The firm has donated a £300 rug for the raffle.

The firm joins people such as former England football captain Alan Shearer, television and radio star Terry Wogan, fashion designer Jeff Banks and news anchorman Trevor MacDonald in the fundraising push.

Mr Skinner said: "I would like to thank Bernard Povey Carpets for its continued support, along with everyone else who has shown kindness by helping with our fundraising campaign.

"I could not have hoped for more support, both locally and nationally, for my daughter."

Chris Povey, managing director at the firm, said: "George is a valued friend and employee and I hope our donation will help Alice and the other children who suffer from kidney disease.

"I wish the Skinner family well for the future."