Students from Reigate's Dunottar School raised hundreds of pounds to go towards research into a rare and debilitating inherited condition which one of their friends suffers with.

The Year 9 students mounted a variety of activities, ranging from cake and sweet sales to a sponsored spell, in order to raise money towards research into Puetz-Jeghers Syndrome (PJS).

The condition, which affects one in 50,000 people, is a mutation in a gene that suppresses tumours. As a result, patients need operations to remove painful polyps throughout their gastrointestinal tract.

The pupils raised £400 from their activities which will help fund research on PJS in children at St Mark’s Hospital in London - one of only three hospitals in the world that has the expert doctors to treat the condition.

Year 9 form tutor at Dunottar School, Julie Boden, said: “It’s great to hear that the message is getting out there and more people are becoming aware of these rare conditions. “I’m very pleased that this money will help to fund vital research into PJS.”

People can make donations towards the research too by sending cheques, payable to “The St Mark’s Foundation (The Polyposis Registry),” to: The Polyposis Registry, St Mark’s Hospital, Watford Rd, Harrow, Middlesex HA1 3UJ.