A man is planning to run the entire length of the River Thames over seven days to raise cash for his sick sister.

Peter Chisnall, 40, from Forest Gate will be running 176 miles, the equivalent of seven marathons, to help raise funds to pay for treatment for his sister Claire Parry.

She suffers from chronic multiple sclerosis and needs to travel to Bangalore in India for urgent treatment which she cannot have on the NHS. It will cost £35,000 and Peter is hoping to raise £15,000.

Peter, who has little running experience, plans the gruelling event against the advice of medical/health professionals in an attempt to capture the attention of friends, acquaintances and the public to encourage maximum donation.

He will begin his run tomorrow at Kemble in the Cotswolds. Peter said: “People tell me I’m insane to take on such a huge challenge. The minimum training time required is a year and I’ve had three months! But my beloved sister needs help urgently – there is no more time to plan. I need to do something big to make people notice and help us. I am urgently appealing to the general public to help us raise the funds. Anything, however small, can make a difference.”

Claire needs urgent Haematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation, a process which kills the body’s memory of its damaged immune system and for which she does not qualify on the NHS.

Claire, 40, from Evesham, said : “I am so proud of my brother and grateful for his support. I am so excited about the possibility of a treatment that could change my life.” To read more or to donate funds go to www.facebook.com/runsausagerun.