RAF servicemen spent time during a posting in the Middle East raising money to help a North-East toddler, after reading of her plight in The Northern Echo.

Flight Sergeant Rick Simpson, who is based at RAF Leeming, in North Yorkshire, read about Hannah Maxwell-Jones, of Nunthorpe, Middlesbrough, before his four-month posting in June.

Hannah, who celebrated her third birthday over Christmas, was born with a severe red birthmark which developed two days after she was born prematurely. Within ten days it had grown to cover most of her face, leaving her disfigured.

A year ago, The Northern Echo launched the Helping Hannah Face the Future appeal, to help send her for an operation with Professor Milton Waner, a world expert on birthmarks, in the US.

Flt Sgt Simpson, as chairman of the British Lions group during his time in the Middle East, chose the Hannah appeal as the adopted charity.

He and his fellow servicemen, in four teams of six, did a sponsored run around their compound for twelve hours, one member of each team running for an hour at a time, in soaring temperatures, wearing full combat gear.

They also carried out sponsored bike rides, starting at 5am to escape the heat. In the compound's non-alcoholic bar, they also held "camel race" evenings, where model camels are raced against each other using dice.

A total of £769 was raised for the appeal, which Flt Sgt Simpson sent to The Northern Echo to be passed on to the family.

He said: "More than £58,000 has been raised for the appeal and in October Hannah and her mother Allison jetted to America for the youngster's successful surgery. She will return in February to have another operation on her face, and the surgeon hopes to carry out three more before Hannah starts school.