Hero athlete Simon Lawson's mission to compete in the Rio Paralympics has had a major boost.

Hundreds of people turned out at a fundraising concert yesterday to help finance the wheelchair marathon competitor's trip to Brazil in September.

The sold-out event at the Grasslot Welfare Sports and Social Club, on Main Road, saw a crowd of 250 people supporting Simon.

Organisers were last night still counting the money raised but were hopeful they had reached their target of £1,000.

This year Simon was the second Briton home in the London Marathon, taking 10th place overall. He also won the Manchester 10k event and is confident he has secured a place in the team which will jet out to Brazil.

This concert featured four bands as as well as an auction and raffle with donations from more than 40 businesses in the town.

One of the organisers was Graeme McNally, 34, of Rydal Street, Maryport who said: "He is a local lad trying to get into the Paralympics.

"Everybody sees him travelling around the local roads, he is an inspiration."

The event went on until 8pm yesterday.

"We gave people time to recover before work today," Simon said.

The bands included local acts Plastic Paddy and Home Grown as well as Manchester-based House of Hands.

One of the other people who helped to set up the event was Carla McCracken, 34, of Netherton, who went to school with Simon.

Her role involved contacting local businesses for donations of prizes.

She remembers him as a rising star in motocross during his teenage years.

Mr Lawson is the son of Workington Comets star Steve and the brother of fellow rider Richard. He was left in a wheelchair after snapping his spinal cord in a horrific crash at the age of 19. His bike’s engine cut out while he was in mid-air practising a double-jump on a training course at his family’s farm in Maryport.

His competitive spirit lived on though and he has pushed himself to become on of Britain's top wheelchair marathon stars.

"I remember the accident and that gave me the drive really, because I know him and hard he works."

Mr Lawson, 34, was delighted with this support.

"It is great to see the community do this and all of the people coming out. I can't let anyone down now."

He was not able though to enjoy a drink because of his strict training programme.