A ‘Scanner of Hope’ has been presented to Sunderland Royal Hospital following a successful Echo appeal.

Former Coronation Street star Denise Welch officially presented the state-of-the-art scanner, which readers of the Sunderland Echo raised £150,000 to buy.

The Echo launched its appeal in October 1997 after it discovered the hospital’s neo-natal unit was having to use borrowed equipment to give lifesaving treatment to premature babies.

Readers rallied together to back the cause – supported by the Children’s Hope Foundation – by organising fundraising events and pledging cash, and the £150,000 target was reached in January 2000.

Echo editor Andrew Smith said: “I would like to thank everybody who contributed to the Scanner Appeal.

“It is because of the caring readers of the Echo contributing sums ranging from pocket money to thousands of pounds that we reached our target.

“We are also indebted to the Children’s Hope Foundation for staging events and administering the appeal and to the Swallow Group for their £50,000 donation.”

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