A moving television appeal by the family of a Medway Alzheimer's Disease sufferer has raised £50,000.

BBC1’s October Lifeline appeal, presented by Sir Cliff Richard, was one of the Alzheimer’s Research Trust’s most successful fund-raisers of all time.

The film featured Vivienne Hill talking about her mother Mary Crack who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease at the age of 60.

Mary is now in the advanced stages of the disease and the film showed her being visited by her husband Herbert and Vivienne at Friston House nursing home in Rochester.

Herbert, a Liberal Democrat councillor for Watling ward on Medway Council, said: “It was difficult (to film) but I’m glad we did it. I think it helped having Cliff Richard, he’s very popular so I’m sure that added to it.

“People I know who watched the programme were shocked and amazed and very sympathetic and it did jolt them into awareness of the affect the disease has on all the family.

“I’m pleased the appeal raised so much money so I’m glad we did it.”

Rebecca Wood, chief executive of the Alzheimer’s Research Trust, explained why the family’s support was so important:

She said: “By openly sharing their personal experience of the disease, they have clearly struck a chord with the public and generated a great deal of support for dementia research.

"This appeal has encouraged many people to help us find an answer to this terrible disease and put a stop to the misery it causes.”

Sir Cliff, a patron of the ART, was moved to present the appeal after losing his mother Dorothy to Alzheimer’s disease last year.

In the film, Sir Cliff spoke of how he and his sisters “were slowly robbed of the vibrant woman we once knew - and the fact that nothing could be done to stop it was almost unbearable.”