A TERMINALLY ILL pensioner has been left stunned after his ex colleagues at a local car dealership took their support for him up a gear.

Staff at Kerr and Smith Vauxhall Ayrshire in Cumnock were left devastated when they found out Drew McCartney, 67, had been diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease (MND).

Drew had been a car valeter and driver for 15 years with the company who now want to help him in any way they can.

He had become more than just an employee but also a close friend to the business and its workers.

Now they are planning a sponsored walk, jog, run and cycle around Millport on Sunday, May 5 to help raise awareness and cash for MND.

It comes after Drew was forced to live in a caravan with no running water after his disease made living in his home impossible.

He had saved up for a dream cruise but then had to fork out his savings on rent for places to stay.

Drew said:“I was so happy when they phoned me last week about it and told me they had decided to do this because I was an employee with them and they want to raise money to help.

“It just made me feel great I was really over the moon that they would all do that for me.

“Their donations have already collected quite a bit but anything we can get is brilliant.”

Staff member Karen Kelly, 39, said: “We are hoping Drew will be well enough to join us.

“Everyone is raising money individually and then we plan on putting it all together to get as much as possible.

“There’s a fundraising page on the Kerr and Smith Facebook so if anyone could donate we would really appreciate it.

“It’s a really good cause and MND is really more common than you would think, so we want to raise awareness.

“He was a brilliant worker and really got on with everyone, we just want to do something to give back.”

Craig Stockton, Chief Executive of MND Scotland, said: “It’s wonderful news to hear that Drew and Helen have finally been given access to a suitable accessible home in Cumnock – near to their support network.

“It’s unacceptable that the McCartneys were in the position of having to spend the winter in a caravan far away from home, with no central heating or running water, due to a lack of accessible housing in the area.

“No family facing a progressive terminal illness should have to deal with these kinds of issues alone. That’s why we will continue to give people with MND a voice and push for more accessible homes to be built across Scotland.”