A COUPLE are launching an appeal to help their five-month-old son - because their postcode means they will receive no NHS help.

Joe Pickstock was born with the abnormality plagiocephaly - or flat-head syndrome - which means his ears are not in line.

Over the next three months, he will need to wear a special helmet 23 hours a day to correct the shape of his head as he grows.

The helmet and the medical treatment Joe needs will cost £2,000.

His parents, Sam and Dave, were told by the Leeds clinic, where Joe can be treated, that if they lived in Birmingham and not Billingham, near Stockton, everything would be paid for by the NHS.

But because the centre does not receive referrals from Teesside, the couple are on their own.

Mr Pickstock, a part-time plumber, said: "You do anything for your kids. We can sell the car and we have other things we can sell to make the money up. It's disgusting we can't get help. I think this could be because it is cosmetic.''

Mrs Pickstock said: "It is very frustrating, but if we lived in Nottingham, Manchester, Bristol or Birmingham, it would be free, on the NHS.

"They don't get referrals from Teesside - though they used to get one about every week.''

The couple who have two other children - seven-year-old Chloe and Kelsey, 11, travel to the Leeds clinic today to have Joe fitted for the £500 helmet.

They need to raise the other £1,500 to pay for ongoing treatment, including scans.

Friends are organising a sponsored walk, a shop is collecting money in a bucket for the family and district councillors Alex Cunningham and Mick Stoker have agreed to have custard pies thrown at them to raise more money.

If anyone wants to send money to Mr and Mrs Pickstock they can call them on 07852-770797.

North Tees Primary Care Trust could not be contacted last night for comment, but the view among some doctors and specialists is there is no clinical evidence indicating helmets are effective.