A TEESSIDE charity has raised funds to help buy two pieces of life-saving equipment thanks to the help of music.

Music v Cancer, a Hartlepool charity which specialises in raising the awareness of cancers and in particular bowel cancer, has helped to buy two video cystoscopes for the University Hospital of North Tees in Stockton costing £37,000.

The machines can not only detect and give specialists a clear view of the early stages of bladder cancer but can also enable surgeons to treat patients and carry out small procedures.

Tony Larkin, Founder of Music v Cancer, said: “Cutting-edge technology like this will ensure that patients have the best possible treatment and that symptoms can be detected quickly and acted upon during the early stages.”

The charity has so far raised £142,000 for cancer initiatives since it was set up in October 2010 and previously presented The University Hospital of Hartlepool with an endo-rectal ultrasound machine back in 2012. The trust matched funded the amount raised by Music v Cancer for the equipment which totalled £63,000.

Medical director at North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust David Emerton said: “Our hospitals all contain the essential equipment for treating our patients but through donations like this we can purchase machinery which is at the forefront of technology.”

Money was raised through Music v Cancer’s regular Weekender gigs and merchandise auctions. Recent names to support the charity have been the Arctic Monkeys, Gary Barlow and Jessie J, while Jools Holland is the official patron.