A FORMER crane driver at Llanwern steelworks who was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease in June last year has raised more than £7,000 for charity by staging a raffle.

Stephen Travers, of Bettws in Newport, who worked at Llanwern for 31 years and was also a union safety rep, said: "I was gutted when I was diagnosed with MND. I didn't know anything about the disease. 

"My family and I have shed a lot of tears over it but I'm fighting it the best I can with the support of the MND team and the district nurses.

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"The first symptom I noticed was slurred speech and I was diagnosed with vocal cord palsy and received speech therapy. The therapist said she thought I should see a neurologist and he diagnosed MND," he added.

Mr Travers and his family collected 45 prizes, mainly from family and friends but also for local businesses including Llanwern Golf Club, Bettws Fish and Chip Shop and Skin Creations tattoo shop.

Prizes included a signed Newport County AFC shirt, a drone, golf lessions, two signed Dragons shirts, hampers, £100 cash and bottles of wine.

He said the aim was to raise £4,000 but they eventually raised £7,006. He has donated £6,006 to the Motor Neurone Disease Association and the other £1,000 to Newport-based St David's Hospice Care.

Mr Travers, who lives with his wife, said the draw was held earlier than planned because of Covid-19 restrictions and the tickets were drawn by his wife and daughters.