A Bradford Bulls rugby player has thrown his weight behind a new support group for families who have suffered at the hands of drink drivers.

Stuart Fielden has persuaded his team-mates to sign a ball which will go up for auction this autumn to raise funds for Support and Care After Road Death and Injury.

Margaret and Malcolm Debenham, whose 18-year-old son Daniel was killed when the drunk driver of the car he was travelling in crashed in Queensbury in 1995, helped to set up the charity last year.

Daniel, from Mixenden, had played rugby league for Illingworth alongside Stuart when the star was younger, so the Bulls player had a very personal motive for getting involved.

Mrs Debenham said: "Stuart has been very supportive and helped us carry out a collection during a Bulls match in April.

"When people have their loved ones killed there can seem nobody for them to turn to for advice or help, so we decided to set up this local group just to support people who have been affected.

"SCARD is run by those who have lost people themselves, because you need to talk to somebody who's actually been through it." Now the charity is hoping a Bulls fan will put in a handsome bid for the ball to help them raise desperately needed funds.

SCARD, which runs a helpline and holds a weekly meeting at Kirklees Road Safety Centre in Huddersfield, relies entirely on donations.

Mrs Debenham said: "If anybody would like to put a bid in for the ball or knows of a Bradford venue where we can auction it, we'd be delighted to hear from them."

The group is holding a remembrance service at 3pm in Leeds Parish Church on November 19 for all victims of road death.

The names of those being remembered will be written on leaf-shaped cards, which will be read out during the ceremony, which is open to all.

SCARD's helpline, manned from 9am to 9pm, with answer-machine cover 24 hours a day, is (01484) 401622.

To find out more about the group, or the Bulls rugby ball, call Mr and Mrs Debenham on (01422) 244580 or fellow founding member Carol Whittingham on (01484) 384702.