TV star John Nettles goes
into overdrive for arthritis charity
Left to right arc chief executive Fergus Logan, actor John Nettles and Kevin Howe, MG Rover Group's chief executive
TOP TV 'tec John Nettles likes his Rover so much he's decided to hand over a top-of-the range model to his favourite charity.
The star of the popular television detective series, Midsomer Murders, was at MG Rover Group's Longbridge plant in Birmingham on April 30 to present a Rover 45 Connoisseur to medical research charity the Arthritis Research Campaign (arc).
John, who plays DCI Tom Barnaby, drives a Rover in the long-running ITV series.
"You don't need to be a detective to work out why I'm happy to support the Arthritis Research Campaign," said John. "More than seven million people of all ages suffer from painful arthritis in this country - it's an enormous problem. But thanks to the research carried out by this charity, the future looks a lot brighter."
The car, donated to arc by MG Rover Group, will be first prize in the charity's annual Grand Draw, which raises more than £100,000 each year. The charity spends around £20m a year on research in the UK, including £3m on projects in Birmingham.
Left to right Kevin Howe, MG Rover Group's chief executive , arc chief executive Fergus Logan and actor John Nettles
Fergus Logan, the charity's chief executive said: "It's a really generous gesture of MG Rover to donate this fantastic car to our charity. Let's hope whoever wins the car drives it with as much due care and attention as John does in Midsomer Murders."
Kevin Howe, MG Rover Group's chief executive added: "I'm delighted to offer our support to the Arthritis Research Campaign with the top prize of a Rover 45 1.8-litre Connoisseur. The charity is a wholly worthwhile cause, and we feel confident that our support will help to boost funds."
The Arthritis Research Campaign (arc) is the fourth largest medical research charity in the UK, and depends entirely on public donations for fund its extensive research programme.
