A six-year battle for a specialist Parkinson's Disease nurse in Banbury has ended in victory for campaigners.

The Banbury and District Parkinson's Disease Society has fought since 1997 to persuade the NHS that a specialist nurse was needed.

The branch knew two months ago that the appointment had been given the go-ahead by the Cherwell Vale Primary Care Trust.

And last week the branch learned that the nurse would start work on Monday -- which is the first day of this year's Parkinson's Awareness Week.

She will be funded for the first two years by the Parkinson's Disease Society.

The primary care trust will take over funding after that.

The Banbury branch of the society raised just under £20,000 and further contributions have come from the society's national office.

The appointment marked the end of a long crusade for local branch treasurer Pete Turner, of Middleton Cheney, whose wife suffers from the illness.

Mr Turner said: "It has taken a long time to get this far, and there were times when it seemed we were getting nowhere. But we kept battling and raising money, and thankfully the job is now done."

He said: "The campaign for a nurse has been going on since 1997. Most doctors are in favour of the scheme and there are already more than 60 specialist Parkinson nurses in other parts of the country."