THE family of a lung disease victim have helped other sufferers by raising money for hospital equipment.

Bus company founder Leonard Garnett's children and former colleagues have raised £3,500 in his memory for the unit where he was treated in Bishop Auckland General Hospital.

They handed over the money to consultant respiratory physician Dr Rachid Abbasi.

It will buy a spirometer to test the lung function of patients in the hospital's cardio-pulmonary investigation unit.

Most of the money was raised at a memorial concert in Shildon Civic Hall, last month, about a year after Mr Garnett died, aged 70.

Mr Garnett's daughter, Carole Ward, said: "It was a tribute to him. He was a lovely man and we wanted to do something to help the hospital to thank them for the good work they do."

Mr Garnett also left a wife Sylvia and sons Leonard, John, Malcolm, Andrew and Paul.

His company Garnett's Coaches, employs 60 people on the Romanway Industrial Estate, in Tindale Crescent.

● A woman has raised about £3,000 for a specialist coronary care unit that treated her father.

Joan Colledge, of Stanley, presented the cheque to the coronary care unit at University Hospital of North Durham, in memory of her late father, John Robert Lowdon.

Mrs Colledge said: "I am delighted with the amount we have raised. We started in March 2006 and £3,000 was always our target.

"I've organised a variety of activities to raise the money including holding raffles and a very successful clairvoyance evening and my son also took part in the Great North Run.

"It's been hard work, but very worthwhile and it is very rewarding to now be handing over the money and see how well it is appreciated. I'd like to thank everyone who has helped me reach this target."

The money will be used to fund a continuous positive airway pressure machine for the unit. Hospital staff say the machine, which is an oxygen infusion pump, will bring real benefits to patients.

Unit manager Nurse Claire Beckwith said: "This means so much and it is lovely to meet people like Mrs Colledge who offer such support to the ward. The machine we will be able to buy will make a real difference to our patients."

Mr Colledge died four years ago.