The first charity outside America for children with progeria will be set up by the family of an eight-year-old sufferer.

Hayley Okines, from Bexhill, is ageing eight times faster than normal because of the rare genetic condition.

There are only 40 known cases around the world and symptoms are largely those of old age, including baldness, wrinkles, hardened arteries and osteoporosis.

Most children with progeria die from heart disease before the age of 15.

The Progeria Research Foundation in the US is the only place in the world that studies the condition. Its research has recently taken off with the announcement of a possible cure after tests were made with a cancer drug on mice.

The foundation receives thousands of pounds in donations from people in the UK who have read about Hayley and it has asked her family if they would like to launch a UK branch.

They are in the process of setting up the charity which they are planning to call Hayley's Hope.

Hayley's mother, Kerry Button, 31, said: "We are very excited about setting up the charity.

"The foundation had a lot of donations from people who have heard about Hayley and they asked us if we want to set up the charity.

"I believe it will be the only place in Europe, or outside America, that studies progeria. We are really pleased.

"It will help raise even further awareness, which will help to raise funds and do more research. That means there is more chance of a cure for Hayley. Even if a cure is not around in Hayley's lifetime, at least she would have helped with the medical trials which may result in other children being helped in the future.

"We are talking to the bank next week to try and set up a bank account. It takes a lot of organisation. We hope it will be ready to launch by the end of the summer."

There are only four known cases of progeria in the UK, including Hayley, who featured in a Channel Five documentary called Extraordinary People last year.

Another sufferer is two-year-old Ashanti White, from Burgess Hill, whose family has also been desperate to raise money for research.