A nurse whose mother and three other family members were affected by breast cancer is walking a moonlight marathon to raise money for a breast cancer charity.

Jan Foster, of Horton Bank Top, has enlisted the help of three friends to speed walk with her in the Playtex Moon Walk in London on Saturday.

The event, organised by Walk the Walk, a charity dedicated to raising funds for breast cancer research and care, follows the 26-mile route of the London Marathon. It takes place through the night.

Jan, 44, said: "When my mother was ill last year I saw the Moon Walk in London and thought it was something I would like to do.

"This year I decided I would do it in memory of my mother who has been an inspiration to me."

Her mother Audrey Ashley died on May 25 last year, within seven weeks of being

diagnosed with cancer of

the spine.

Jan said the breast cancer charity was a cause particularly close to her heart because of the history of the disease in her family.

Doctors believed the spinal cancer which killed Jan's mother had started as breast cancer, and her grandmother, Lily Burron, and aunt, Mavis Firth, both died of the disease.

Jan also found two lumps on her breast which she had removed.

"I found the first lump at the age of 18 and the second lump I found aged 27," said Jan who works on the children's ward at Bradford Royal Infirmary.

Jan has since been referred by her GP to the genetic testing unit in Leeds.

"I will be very relieved to find out one way or the other," said Jan, who has two sons, Alexander, 12 and Nicholas, ten.

"It is so important to examine your own breasts and be aware of any changes," she said. "The key is to catch the cancer early to prevent it spreading."

Jan's friends Julie Aitkins, a community midwife from Shelf, Ruth Aminzodeh, from Idle, who works as a nurse, and Sue Hartley, a classroom assistant from Shelf, are joining her on the walk.

"When I told them I was doing the walk in memory of mum they all said they would like to support me by walking with me," said Jan.

"Both Julie's parents died of cancer so the cause is also very significant for her."