EMMERDALE fans have helped raise thousands of pounds for a former star of the show battling terminal lung cancer.

Last night more than £30,000 had been contributed to a £50,000 campaign set up to help Leah Bracknell get the vital treatment she needs.

Bracknell, who lives in Worthing with her partner Jez Hughes, played Zoe Tate in the popular soap from 1989 to 2005.

The 52-year-old revealed her illness on a page posted on to gofundme fundraising website three days ago.

Since then, the soap's fans have been rallying around to help.

The mother-of-two, whose real name is Alison and is known to her family as Ali, has been working as a yoga instructor in recent years but is well-known for her Emmerdale storylines.

These included raising awareness of LGBT issues after her character was cast as a lesbian and later her portrayal of suffering a schizophrenic breakdown.

In her fundraising appeal, Bracknell wrote: "Just over five weeks ago, I was feeling perfectly well, fit and healthy.

“Teaching yoga classes and workshops, it was a time of new beginnings: preparing to move house, youngest child fleeing the nest, and excited to be starting rehearsals for a comedy play, being back onstage, going on tour.

"But, it turns out that the universe had other plans. Life was about to be unexpectedly turned on its head.

"I began to feel breathless climbing stairs ... I just put it down to a bit of stress.

“My abdomen suddenly ballooned - and within a matter of a few days I looked heavily pregnant. I could barely walk or breathe.

“Then, one Saturday night at the beginning of September I ended up in A&E."

The actress said she had had an emergency procedure to remove excess fluid from around her heart.

She said: “However, the bad news is that I have been diagnosed with lung cancer, stage four. In their opinion, that means it is terminal, not curable, not operable.

"A fairly brutal and bleak diagnosis but one I am determined to challenge and see from the perspective of "a glass half full", going against a lifetime of pessimism, negativity and fear.

"My priority is getting well and strong, so that I can continue to endeavour to be a good, mother, daughter, wife, or at least the best I can be.”

The couple are hoping to raise enough funds for immunotherapy treatment in Germany, which has seen previously “incurable” cancers going into complete remission.

However the treatments are not yet available on the NHS outside of clinical trials and very expensive.

To support the campaign, visit gofundme.com and search for Leah Bracknell.