TO CELEBRATE 10 years of helping local breast cancer sufferers and survivors, a local self-help group held a fun-filled fashion show featuring stunning clothes, topless rugby players and plenty of laughs.

Basingstoke Breast Cancer self-help group, which was formed in 2003, organised the event to celebrate a decade of supporting local women.

The fashion show, held in The Ark, in the grounds of Basingstoke hospital, was attended by local dignitaries including Basingstoke MP Maria Miller and borough Deputy Mayor and Mayoress Councillor Roger Gardiner and Tricia Gardiner.

The models strutting their stuff down the catwalk were 16 women from the self-help group, all of whom have fought breast cancer.

They modelled different outfits donated by John Lewis, Reading, and were cheered on by more than 200 guests who attended the sell-out event.

Angela Bassett, chairman of the group, said: “It was a brilliant night. The highlight was definitely the appearance by the men from Basingstoke Rugby Football Club.

“They started out fully clothed but ended up topless. People weren’t expecting it and when they came out on the catwalk, the place went mad.”

The rugby players were invited by Dr Steve Tristram, a surgeon at Basingstoke hospital and chairman of Basingstoke RFC, who also attended the event.

Mrs Bassett said that the more than £3,000 raised at the event would go towards funding the group’s work, and also to local charity RadCan, which is fundraising for a new radiotherapy unit in Basingstoke.

She said: “It is a real milestone this year. We’ve been going for 10 years now and we still are welcoming more women to the group. It’s helped a lot of people over the years.”