A businessman who offered to pay for a five-year-old girl's life-saving treatment is planning more fund-raising events.

Chris Weatherstone, of Weatherstone Property Group in Hove, was so touched by Sacha Skinner's story he decided to donate the necessary £10,000.

That is what it will cost for Sacha and her parents, Annette Dacosta and Neil Skinner, to travel to New York for experimental gene replacement therapy.

Mr Weatherstone is now organising a golf tournament and the proceeds will be ploughed into medical research and raising awareness of Batten's disease.

Sacha, of Park Crescent Road, Brighton, was diagnosed with the fatal illness in July.

The genetic condition affects the nervous system and sufferers lose the ability to walk, talk and see.

Sacha and her parents face a nervous wait while her DNA is analysed in The Netherlands to determine whether she is suitable for the treatment. Without it, she is not expected to live beyond the age of 12.

The golf day had been planned for this month but has been postponed to the spring because so many people want to take part.

Mr Weatherstone said: "We have got more than 100 people interested in playing so we decided to move it to the spring when the days will be longer.

"On a bad day we would hope to raise £5,000, on a good day double that.

"I know a couple of the boys from Chelsea Football Club so hopefully we will be able to auction off some signed shirts and they might even come down."

In the past, the company has raised funds for St Dunstan's home for blind ex-servicemen and women in Ovingdean, Brighton, and St Barnabas Hospice in Worthing.

Bob Thatcher, a friend of Mr Weatherstone's, is to run the next London Marathon in aid of Batten's disease research.

Mr Weatherstone said: "We normally do some fund-raising every 18 months or so and this just seemed such a sad story.

"My little boy, who is the same age as Sacha, was very seriously ill about three years ago.

"My wife and I lived at the Royal Alexandra Hospital for Sick Children for about a week - it was the worst time of my life. Luckily, both my children are healthy now.

"I thought if I could do something on the financial side to help I would."

Mr Weatherstone says he is behind the family all the way and will wait for as long as it takes to pay for Sacha's treatment.