RUGBY MP Mark Pawsey has joined people across the country urging the Government to put £50 million into targeted research into Motor Neurone Disease.

Mr Pawsey met with a number of people living with Motor Neurone Disease, including former rugby player Rob Burrow as they travelled to Downing Street to deliver a letter on behalf of hundreds of people who are living with the disease.

The letter was sent on its way by Doddie Weir from his farm in the Scottish borders and urged the Government to inject £50 million into targeted MND research. It was signed virtually by people across the country,

The call comes from a coalition of MND charities – the MND Association, MND Scotland and My Name's Doddie Foundation – people living with MND and leading neurologists.

The letter was handed in to Number 10 Downing Street by a delegation including Rob Burrow MBE, Stephen Darby, former West Midlands Police Assistant Chief Constable Chris Johnson and Nicola Waters, a leading figure in the campaigning coalition.

Their letter says: "MND is a death sentence. We will all die of the disease because there are no treatments to help us. However, research has now reached a point where a cure or life-saving treatments can be found."

After meeting with the delegation, Mr Pawsey said: "It was a real privilege to be able to meet some brilliant sportspeople in Parliament last week, who are courageously living with MND. I remember fondly watching Rob Burrow playing rugby league across many years.

"I am very pleased to be supporting the call for increased research funding into this disease and have written personally to the Secretary of State for Health asking for a cash injection of £50 million to help establish the UK as a leading player in the global field of neurological research. In recent years, funding for targeted MND research via the National Institute for Health Research and the Medical Research Council has stood at less than £5 million per year.  This is not enough to keep pace with unprecedented advances in science, medicine, and technology.

"It was good to hear that the bid has widespread support and the recent petition on MND research funding which was signed by over 110,000 people included 215 of my constituents. I will continue to support those with MND wherever I can and have written to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care asking him to support the funding bid for research into MND treatment."