Readers of the Press and Journal have helped to raise more than £500,000 for a centre of excellence for urological cancers in the north-east.

The newspaper teamed up with charity Ucan in a bid to raise £2m in three years, and the fundraising tally so far was revealed as the appeal reached its first anniversary.

The campaign has seen the public and corporate sponsors dig deep, organising a wide variety of fundraising events.

When it launched its appeal the Press and Journal said urological cancers were largely ignored, and sufferers were often too embarrassed to seek help.

Press and Journal editor Derek Tucker said: "As they have with our previous campaigns, our readers have taken Ucan to their hearts and done their utmost to make life better for people in the north and north-east whose lives are affected by urological cancers.

"We will continue to back the campaign and I would encourage everyone in the region to maintain their warm support for the charity."

About 300 people are diagnosed with urological cancers in the north-east every year, including kidney, bladder, testicular and prostate cancers.

Ucan has set a £2m target over three years to develop a dedicated department at Aberdeen University's Institute of Medical Sciences building at Foresterhill.

Ucan chairman Sam McClinton said: "We're very pleased that a year into the campaign we have more than £500,000.

"The P&J coverage has meant that from starting from zero profile we now have a very high profile, so when people are thinking of raising money for a cancer charity they are more likely to think of us."