A school caretaker whose daughter has cancer has co-organised a charity fun day for this weekend.

Shaun King, 47, of Linden Grove Primary School in Stanhope, hopes to raise as much as £3,000 for CLIC Sargent, which specialises in supporting children with the disease.

Mr King said: “I would like to break the £3,000 barrier but even if it came to £2,500 I would be jumping for joy.”

Mr King’s daughter Alison, 16, has acute lymphoblastic leukaemia and is currently being treated at University College Hospital in London.

It is hoped she will be well enough to come home and present trophies for the event’s football tournament.

Alison, who was diagnosed last August, is on a two-year treatment programme after which it is hoped she will go in remission.

Mr King said: “She has been set back by infections but she is making progress.”

Mr King is organising the event with four mums from the school, Anna Campbell, Charlotte Law, Donna Crawford and April White.

Miss Campbell said: “Sean does so much for the school, he opens the gates with a happy smile and he is brilliant with our children.

“We were gutted when we heard of Alison’s illness so we thought the least we could do for him was help organise events like this.”

The fun day is all day from 9.30am on Saturday at the Stanhope Road school.

It will include a truck pull, five-a-side tournament, two bouncy castles and a karate display.