A DOZEN employees at a Newton Aycliffe factory have been losing pounds to gain pounds to help sent a two-year-old girl to the US for surgery.

The 12 volunteers from 3M, in Heighington Lane, lost a total of 88lb in weight between them, in just four weeks.

Sponsorship from work colleagues and friends, as well as funds from a raffle and a contribution from 3M, has brought in £650 for the Help Hannah Face the Future appeal.

The money will go to help Hannah Maxwell-Jones, from Nunthorpe, Middlesbrough, receive treatment in the US.

Hannah suffers from a blood vessel tumour causing facial disfigurement, which specialists in this country have been unable to treat.

Mike Simpson of 3M said: "One of our employees saw an article about Hannah in The Northern Echo and we wanted to do what we could to help.

"Some of the slimmers found it a bit of a struggle to lose their target weight, but they all thought it was worth it for such a good cause."

The members of staff taking part in the slim were Stephanie Kennedy, Barbara Hogan, Keith Wilson, Linda Kelly, Pauline Donahue, Rosina Stephenson, Jeff Tinkler, Marie Wedgwood, Bernice Dunn, Donna Henderson, Marilyn Moralee and Lorna Martyn.