A BOLTON office worker is gearing up to hike 50 miles in a bid to raise funds for multiple sclerosis research after her friend was diagnosed with the debilitating condition.

Christine James, aged 42, is preparing to take part in the Bigfoot Challenge - a 50 mile trek which takes place over three days.

The AXA insurance worker knew she had to do something when her friend and colleague Marissa McIntyre was diagnosed with MS a few weeks ago.

She said: "It was something I had never really thought about until Marissa was diagnosed.

"She's such a lovely person, it was so upsetting when she told me and I knew I wanted to do something to help.

"I was very shocked and she is the reason I wanted to do it. I have started training and I am aiming to get up to 10 miles in each training walk I do because I want to raise at least £500 for the MS Society."

The event will see Christine walk 15 miles on day one, complete 26 miles on day two and finish off with a nine mile victory walk on the final and third day.

The Bigfoot Challenge will take place in Cheshire between August 12 and 14. Money raised will go towards funding for more MS nurses, providing MRI scanners and go towards the MS tissue bank appeal.

Multiple sclerosis is a condition of the central nervous system and affects around 85,000 people nationally. The immune system, which normally helps the body fight off infections, mistakes tissue for a foreign body and attacks it, stripping it of nerve fibres, preventing the body from working properly.

Anyone who wants to sponsor Christine or take part in the Bigfoot challenge should visit www.mssociety.org.uk/bigfoot/ or call the hotline on 0870 241 3565.