A YOUNG fundraiser came up with a novel idea to help a girl with a rare skin disorder, by riding to work dressed as a giant chicken.17-year-old, Shaun Bardell was inspired to don the feathery costume by the story of eight-year-old Maya Felton who suffers from Epidermolysis Bullosa Recessive Dystrophic Type 11, which causes her skin to blister and shed.

A YOUNG fundraiser came up with a novel idea to help a girl with a rare skin disorder, by riding to work dressed as a giant chicken.

17-year-old, Shaun Bardell was inspired to don the feathery costume by the story of eight-year-old Maya Felton who suffers from Epidermolysis Bullosa Recessive Dystrophic Type 11, which causes her skin to blister and shed.

The condition means that Maya has to be fed through a tube in her stomach and her skin needs to be carefully bandaged to avoid infection.

Shaun said: “I saw the Maya's story in the paper and when some of her relatives came into the pub to play bingo I decided to raise some money for her and with Easter coming up soon, I thought I'd dress for the occasion.”

Shaun set himself 30 minutes to get from his home in Reynolds Road, Gainsborough to the Selkirk Inn in Rushmere and made it with two minutes to spare.

The cycle ride wasn't Shaun's first attempt to raise money for a good cause. He has already taken part in a sponsored wheelbarrow race, a sponsored walk from Felixstowe to Ipswich and has also been involved in darts and pool marathons at the Selkirk.

The unusual ride made him late for work but his employers didn't cry fowl and Shaun managed to raise a less than poultry £250.