THREE fundraisers will be tattooed with blind charity mascot Sooty to recognise the support given to their friend.

After holding a number of runs, walks and fundraising nights - raising more than £10,000 in total so far - the group decided to do something "a bit different" for the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) and Action for Blind People.

Rachel Adamson, 28, Jimmy Helsby, 33, and Mark Murray, 28, will have RNIB mascot Sooty tattooed on their bodies at Skin Kandi tattoo studio, in Westfield Street, next month (October).

Rachel said she wanted to do "something a bit different" to raise money and to thank the RNIB for the support they have given her friend Mark Rogerson.

Mark, 33, from St Helens, had surgery to fix both of his retinas in 2013. But following treatment he caught an infection and subsequently lost all sight in his right eye and suffered scarring in the left.

Mark, who works at Betfred in Birchwood, has himself raised thousands for the RNIB and he ran the London marathon in April, with his sister Sarah Birkett as a guide runner.

After training for around 20 weeks, he completed the 26.2-mile feat with a time of 5h 38m 46s.

Jimmy Helsby, an opticians' dispensing manager from Windle – one of those to be tattooed – also completed the London marathon alongside Mark.

Rachel, Jimmy and Mark will have their Sooty tattoos on Friday, October 14.

To make a donation go to justgiving.com/fundraising/The2Marks.