A team of gardeners is taking on a challenge to raise money for an Ashford teenager who is battling cancer.

The MJN gardening team will be taking on a 24-hour 'mowathon' to raise money for Oliver Ross, after reading about his fight on KentOnline last week.

Matthew Newbury, director of the company, said reading the story "stopped me in my tracks".

"Young Oliver is the exact same age as my son, and I know how devastated I would be if this was my family, so I knew I had to do something to help," he said.

"As the Director of my gardening company I was cutting grass at the time and was trying to think of a novel way to raise money.

"That when it hit me that we could do a sponsored mow for 24-hours non stop".

Mr Newbury organised the location at Grasslands Turf Farm in New Romney Romney Marsh, and introduced himself to Claire Ross-Duffield, Oliver's mum.

He said: "I explained that I would like to help him and how I was going to do it, then after a pause and some laughter on her side saying i was mad but would be grateful of any help.

"I put the plans to my staff who immediately said they are in and would love to help... and I then found out later that one of my guys is related to Oliver, and another one of the guys taught his sister to kayak. It's really a small world.

"I also just want to give a special thanks to Sam and Ian at speedy hire, they have gone out of their way making it possible to have lighting for the night-time section of event with no charge.

"Ian is delivering and collecting the light in his own time as we have no means of getting it there – without this help the event would not go ahead."

While the team has been collecting donation slips, if you would like to donate to Oliver's cause you can do so by clicking here.

Read more: All the latest news from Ashford