A FATHER from Peeblesshire is about to embark a race against time to save his baby daughter.

Neil Hutchison from West Linton is preparing for his first fundraising mission to aid research into a rare illness which has struck his nine-month-old child, Morven.

The toddler was diagnosed as suffering from Cystinosis - a condition which affects only 15 people in Scotland.

There is no known cure for the illness, which can prevent body cells from functioning properly, and reduces the expected life expectancy to little further than reaching adulthood.

But Cystinosis Foundation are working towards finding a cure - and Neil, along with his wife, Alex, want to help them.

Neil told the Peeblesshire News: "We had never even heard of the condition, but the doctors who gave us the news were excellent in explaining it to us. But when we got home, we were quickly on to the internet to try and find out more.

"When I learned about the research, I wanted to put all my weight behind helping this. If there is an opportunity to find a cure we have to do all we can to try and make it possible." The couple have already reached their Initial target of £2500 - and are now on their way to a new aim of £5,000.

Neil will be joined by three friends Duncan Farrar, Dan Norbury and Charlie Tulip, later this month to tackle the Berlin Marathon.

And they hope their efforts in Germany will take the fundraising through the new total.

Readers of the Peeblesshire News who would like to donate to the cause can log onto www.justgiving.com/theberlinwallies.