The family of little leukaemia victim Molly-Ann Barnett are celebrating after learning that the six-year-old's cancer is in remission.

The news means Molly-Ann still desperately needs a bone marrow transplant by the end of September, but her condition is unlikely to deteriorate before the operation is due.

So the desperate search for a donor who can match Molly-Ann's rare tissue type goes on, with the final deadline to find the person with that gift of life looming this weekend.

Staff at Pocklington firm VMS, which is partly-owned by Molly-Ann's father Paul, have been doing all they can to encourage people to come forward and give blood to see if they can provide the match.

Laura Curran, from the firm's marketing department, said doctors revealed Molly-Ann was in remission after she had a bone marrow "harvest" and was given a lumbar puncture.

Laura added this weekend was the very latest time for new donors to come for-ward, and urged anyone who had not already given blood to do so immediately.

After that deadline it would take about four weeks to complete all the tests and another two weeks were needed to get ready for the operation.

"After this weekend, it's just an awful waiting game for the family," Laura added. "But at least they know things haven't got any worse."

Molly-Ann, who lives in Hull and is being treated at St James's Hospital, Leeds, had her final chemotherapy session recently. The transplant has become vital because her body will not stand having any more chemotherapy.