A girl with leukaemia looks set to go on her dream holiday after kind-hearted Northern Echo readers came to her rescue.

Yesterday, the paper reported how Bryan and Carol Jones feared their chance to take their daughter Vicki to EuroDisney had been dashed.

A fundraising organisation called Phoenix Cancer Care for Kids had pledged to collect nearly £1,000 to send the five-year-old and her family on the trip of a lifetime this Easter.

But the money never arrived and the organisation was being investigated by the police.

Mrs Jones, from Waldridge, near Chester-le-Street, said she had not had the heart to tell her daughter that she may not be able to go to the Disney attraction because Vicki was so excited at the prospect.

But, after reading of the appeal, caring Northern Echo readers have risen to the challenge and in less than a day rang in to pledge about £900.

Check Mate North East, an electrical engineering company in Hurworth Place, Darlington, is donating £200 - as is the Darlington branch of Amicus, formerly the AEEU union, which represents engineering and electrical workers.

Individual donations were also pledged, including £100 donated by Betty Lishman, 70, from Cassop, near Durham.

The donations have been sent to a bank account set up in Vicki's name.

Vicki's father, Bryan said: "When this sort of thing happens it's very touching. We're all really grateful at the generosity of The Northern Echo readers and would like to thank them."