Cameron Flanagan, of Sedlescome Road South, recently had his long hair cut by his 12-year-old brother Dan in aid of the ME Association.

Their mother Kim Forward, who was elected as a Labour councillor for Gensing ward in the council elections this month, said: "Dan has the condition and has been ill since November.

"He had an ordinary bug but instead of getting better he lost his energy.

"Dan has had a whole range of tests and was diagnosed with ME in November.

"He was a perfectly healthy active boy until the illness struck.

"Just before Christmas he lost the ability to stand and walk because his energy levels were so low and now uses a wheelchair full-time.

"He had to leave Filsham Valley and now has home tutoring once a week.

"The prognosis is that the majority of children who get this condition recover but it can take years.

"Dan has quite a severe form of ME but not as bad as some sufferers who cannot do anything but lie down. It is a nightmare of an illness.

"Cameron was so disturbed by his brother's illness so he wanted to raise money towards research into the condition.

"I am incredibly proud of Dan for coping with his condition as it must be an absolute nightmare for him. He is a sports fan and used to play all sorts of sports.

"I am also proud of Cameron for coming up with the idea of raising money."