Cliff Richard has praised The Northern Echo's campaign to ensure that dementia patients get the medication they need.

Sir Cliff, whose mother suffers from Alzheimer's disease, was responding to news that more than 1,000 readers have signed up to the paper's Don't Stop Dementia Drugs campaign.

The campaign was launched two weeks ago to back the Alzheimer's Society's fight to overturn new restrictions on vital NHS drugs.

Sir Cliff said: "It's great to hear of The Northern Echo's support for the Alzheimer's Society's campaign.

"As someone whose mother has suffered from this appalling illness for several years now, I know how cruel it can be and how vital it is that sufferers receive the medication they need. All power to you."

The aim of the Echo's campaign is to put pressure on the Government to set aside advice from the drugs watchdog, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, which will mean that, from November 22, newly-diagnosed Alzheimer's patients will be denied many of the drugs that they need.

The paper asked readers to sign a printed form calling on Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt "to intervene on the side of thousands of dementia patients".

Readers have responded in their hundreds.

The Northern Echo's website has also received 118 e-mails expressing support for the campaign from as far afield as Frinton-on-Sea, in Essex, and Lanarkshire in Scotland.