An appeal to help a man with terminal cancer spend more time with his daughter has reached the £7,000 mark in less than a week.

People from around Sussex and the country have been touched by the plight of Neil Cooper, from Portslade, and donations have flooded in.

An old schoolfriend of Mr Cooper's from Cornwall sent in a donation while another donor gave £500.

Family friends John and Bridget Coleman even gave up their holiday to give £400.

Fund-raising football matches and other events are planned and at the weekend football fans donated £815 just before Albion's last home game of the season.

The Neil Cooper Appeal was launched by The Argus to raise much-needed cash for expensive chemotherapy treatment for the 33-year-old.

Mr Cooper has an untreatable form of cancer affecting his lungs and kidneys and his only chance of prolonging his life is a trial treatment not currently available on the NHS. But each three-week course of treatment costs about £10,000 and the family are in urgent need of help to give Mr Cooper the chance to spend more precious time with his six-month-old daughter Caitlin and wife Wendy, 32.

There is no guarantee the treatment will work but there is a good chance it will prolong Mr Cooper's life by several months or possibly more.

It may also stabilise his condition for long enough until more medical treatments are developed in the future that may help him.

The family have been overwhelmed by the support they have had and have asked for their thanks to be passed on to all those who have helped.

Mrs Cooper said: "So many of our friends and family are organising things but the kindness and generosity of strangers is even more staggering.

"We are getting cheques and well wishes put through our door by neighbours, some of whom we don't even know. It's amazing that we are surrounded by such caring people."

Mr Cooper's older brother Warren visited The Argus offices in Hollingbury to add his support to the appeal and to thank all those who had rallied around. He said the family was focusing on each day as it came and concentrating on being positive about the future.

Elsa Gillio, co-ordinator of The Argus Appeal, said: "We have been overwhelmed by people's generosity and we are determined to reach the first £10,000 milestone as quickly as we can."

Cheques made payable to The Argus can be sent to: Neil Cooper Appeal, Argus House, Crowhurst Road, Brighton BN1 8AR. Donations can also be made by credit card. Elsa Gillio can be contacted on 01273 544465 or 07796 318402.