A couple who lost two sons to cystic fibrosis have dedicated more than 20 years to fund-raising.

Margaret and Derek Miller have staged an annual coffee morning for 23 years to raise money for research into the condition.

Their first-born son Mike died 20 years ago, aged 19, and their second child Keith died as a baby in 1964.

The couple, of Mount Pleasant, Newhaven, are holding this year's event on April 7.

Margaret, 59, said: "I suppose you could say this is a way to give some kind of meaning to what we went through. At times we thought, 'Why us?', but we just got on with it and the coffee morning is part of that."

In the Seventies the couple raised £23 at the coffee mornings, held in their living room.

Now they hire a hall and the event commands up to £700 for cystic fibrosis charities.

Cystic fibrosis affects the lungs, often causing severe pneumonia. It is the most common fatal hereditary disorder among Caucasians and the most common cause of lung disease in youngsters.

About two in every 10,000 children are struck down with it.

When baby Keith died aged just six weeks, doctors told his parents it was pneumonia.

Then, two years later, four-year-old Mike was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis and it became clear that had been at the root of his brother's death.

Margaret said: "The doctors gave us the choice of wrapping Mike up in cotton wool or helping him enjoy life to the full.

"He did live a very full life. He was a big Leeds fan and got to meet the team when he was about nine. His ashes were scattered on the Elland Road pitch after he was cremated in the team strip. They even paid tribute to him in the football programme."

When her youngest son Kevin, now 34, was given the all-clear, Margaret felt their luck had finally turned.

Kevin, who lives in Ringmer, has helped out with the coffee morning fund-raiser every year since his brother's death.

This years runs from 10am to noon in Denton Social Centre, Newhaven. There will also be a raffle, tombola and cake stalls.