THE heartbroken family of a Dorset cancer victim today launched a fundraising event to help find a cure for the killer disease.

Mother-of-two Alison Pendry, 35, saw her father Patrick O'Leary, 66, die an agonising death from mesothelioma.

Mr O'Leary, who lived at South Perrott, near Beaminster, was diagnosed with the asbestos-related illness, which suffocates victims by attacking the lungs and windpipe, just six days before dying on October 6, 2004.

But now his family have launched a campaign to raise funds for further research into finding a cure.

She said: "My mother, brother and I watched helplessly as he deteriorated daily in suffocating pain, with no treatment available to reduce symptoms or any hope he would live very long and rebuild some of his life.

"After he died I spent two weeks trying to find somewhere we could donate money from funeral donations. We eventually found the St Bart's Mesothelioma Research in London and that was the only place in Britain doing research into this."

Following talks with St Bart's Hospital in London Mrs Pendry discovered they were very short of funds and donated £500 raised from at her father's funeral. She and her brother Liam then set up Meso Research Fund - a campaign to raise money for and awareness of St Bart's Mesothelioma.

And now the Meso Research Fund is ready to host its first big fundraiser.

Scheduled for October 8 the event will boast entertainment and a grand draw with top prize of two return flights from Bristol to any European destination.

Mrs Pendry said: "Bertie's Big Band will headline the evening with classics from the good old days, followed by the auction.

"Guest speaker Dr Jeremy Steele, who's consultant medical oncologist at St Bart's, will also talk on the current research taking place and plans for future development."

Mrs Pendry said her father, who moved to South Perrott with her mother Wendy in 1967, was been exposed to asbestos when he worked as a plumber during the 1970s. She continued: "What's awful is that this can take up to 40 or 50 years raise its head and then it is really vicious. Because of this it's going to become more and more common."

The Meso Research Fund event will be held at the Westland's Leisure Complex in Yeovil. Tickets cost £10. To book, or make a donation, telephone 01935 703810.