THE family of a North Yorkshire writer who inspired the Heartbeat television series is taking part in a huge charity run in York after he, his wife and daughter were all diagnosed with cancer.

Rhoda Walker, 75, wife of Peter Walker whose Heartbeat pen name is Nicholas Rhea, was diagnosed with breast cancer last year.

Mrs Walker, from Helmsley, will take part in Sunday’s Race for Life on Knavesmire, along with her daughter Tricia, 47, who was diagnosed with the same condition in 2009. Mr Walker was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2007.

As well as Rhoda and Tricia, runners will also include Tricia’s sisters Janet Bradshaw and Sarah Smelik, granddaughters Eleanor, Anna and Isobel, plus family friends Hayley Wilkinson, who has also had breast cancer, and her daughter Evie and friends Jane and Becky – together they are known as the Rhoda Runners.

Looking forward to Sunday, Mrs Walker said: “I’ve thought about doing it before, but having been diagnosed myself, it really motivated me to do it this time. We’re fortunate in that all three of us are doing very well, but there are too many people either still fighting or having lost the battle against cancer.

“We want to do it for them too. We are dedicating our run to all those affected by cancer, which is why we’re raising money for Cancer Research UK, which funds research into all types of cancer.”

If you would like to sponsor the Rhodarunners on Sunday, there’s still time to visit their web page at justgiving.com/rhodarunners The annual women’s only run is organised by Cancer Research UK and takes place on Knavesmire on Sunday.

There will be a 10K race in the morning and a 5K event in the afternoon. Last year the run saw 5,400 women, all dressed in pink, turn out for the event. Between them they helped to rise more than £300,000.

It is still possible top enter the race on line by visiting raceforlife.org and clicking on Choose Your Event.