A 66-year-old Northern Soul fanatic embarked on a 24-hour marathon playing hits from the genre to raise money for the local Herefordshire Parkinson's support group.

Vinyl record enthusiast Alister Cole, who was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2011, set up his turntables at Ross-on-Wye’s Larruperz Community Centre last weekend.

Alister is a life-long devotee of Northern Soul and Motown claims this obsession with the music and the related dancing has provided him with a means of combatting the slow decline of the condition surrounding Parkinson’s.

He also is grateful for all the help and support he has received from the Herefordshire Support Group and others since his diagnosis and to show his appreciation he has been raising funds for the charity for the past 10 years with his regular soul nights in Ledbury and Ross.

Alister, who has already raised a substantial sum in excess of £24,000 hopes to add an additional £3,000 to this figure by the end of his marathon.

But Alister is making the challenge harder on himself by only using original vinyl singles and not re-releases, cds or streaming services, which eliminates one of the Northern Soul classics namely Frank Wilson’s ‘Do I Love You (Indeed I Do)’ as there were so few issued in 1965.

Alister’s set began with Clarence Murray’s ‘Let’s Get On With It, a single that set him back some £500.

Alister began his appreciation of Northern Soul having heard Frankie Valli and The Fours Seasons ‘The Night’ in 1974.

Alister said of his challenge: “I want to, whilst I am able, give back something by raising as much as money as possible for them so they can support other people with Parkinson's in my area.

“It was a huge challenge, but thankfully I was up for it. I believe I’m keeping my Parkinson’s disease at bay by keeping moving and dancing to Northern Soul is a great motivator and while I’m exhausted, the challenge has been a thrilling experience.”

Alister explained that during the mid-1970s he would hitch hike to the Wigan Casino, the Mecca of the Northern Soul scene that ran between 1965 and 1981, and he would return the following day by the same mode of transport.

The club’s enduring dedication to Northern Soul and its ‘all-nighters’ made it an icon among fans of the genre.

“This one-off marathon event is designed to give an extra boost to the fundraising I’ve already made,” said Alister.

“What an epic it was taking on the 24-hours nonstop solo vinyl DJing. Practically every bone, muscle and tendon hurts in some way.

“But I don't care, what just happened was a truly momentous event for me and I'll always treasure the emotions and sounds and yes even the pain.”

“I really enjoyed playing my collection of original vinyl singles during the challenge and for most of the time there was a number of people keeping me company, who even helped dance the night away and motivate and encourage me to keep going.

Alister has set up a justgiving.com page (search Alister Cole) for those wishing to donate to his challenge.