A staggering £24,000 has been raised in just three weeks and it is hoped that will be enough to rescue Dominic Chadwick from his far eastern nightmare.

The 22-year-old sports student broke his neck during a horrific fall from a walkway in the Thai tourist hotspot Phuket.

Doctors fear his injury may have left him paralysed from the waist down.

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The fund to pay for his travelling and medical expenses received a massive boost last night as a special event at North Pier's Merrie England showbar raised £12,000.

For Dominic's heartbroken mum Jane, the event took place on her 45th birthday, and she said there could be no better present than the kindness her family had been shown.

She said: "I'm totally overwhelmed by the lengths people have gone to to help Dominic. I can never thank them enough.

"I came back from Thailand on Thursday to find £10,000 had already been raised, it's just incredible.

"People have been amazing to help raise so much in such a short space of time - I just desperately want my son home now."

Doctors hope Dominic will be fit enough to make the journey back to the UK on Tuesday. His family must wait for the results of tests on Sunday before they know whether that is possible.

Medical bills for the journey are expected to cost between £15,000 and £20,000, but due to a problem with travel insurance, insurers will only provide £3,000 of the total cost. On arrival, he will be taken to a specialist spinal injury unit in Southport.

While Dominic's mother and two brothers flew out to Thailand to be at his bedside, fundraising efforts started in earnest back home.

Family friends Natalie Lidstone, David Gee and Richard Slack arranged the special charity night at the Merrie England.

More than 300 people crammed into the venue and Blackpool favourites Joey Blower, Johnnie Casson, Tony Jo and Leanne Fury gave their time for free to entertain guests. An auction and raffle contributed to the cash total and local stars also dug deep to boost funds.

The Phil Winston theatre school sent £2,000 and stars Joe Longthorne, Roy Chubby Brown and Frank Carson, who were unable to attend, sent cheques for £1,000 each.

Joey Blower, who hosted the event, said: "The night was fantastic and supported by the very best of Blackpool's entertainment community.

"Local people proved their generosity once again with a brilliant turnout. It is truly a credit to the town we have all come together to help one of our own that is in need."

Natalie Lidstone added: "The fact we've raised more than £20,000 for Dominic is incredible. I want to say a huge thank you to all the stars, businesses and residents that have been so generous."

To donate to the Dominic Chadwick fund, call Natalie at Stanley Park's the Art Deco Cafe on (01253) 393737 or 07774 792 824