An anonymous woman has donated £10,000 to a Wharfedale man's campaign to raise money for cancer research.

Andrew Shippey, 20, was diagnosed with testicular cancer two years ago and has since run the London Marathon and the Great North Run to raise more than £5,800 for Imperial Cancer Research.

And a mystery benefactor was so touched by Andrew's spirited recovery and fundraising efforts that she dropped a cheque for £10,000 through the door of his Otley home.

Accompanying it was an unsigned letter and a brief statement which said that the money was "to aid in the campaign to save lives with the ultimate goal of the total elimination of cancer for future generations".

Stunned Andrew, who was given only a two per cent chance of survival during treatment, said he could hardly express his gratitude.

"Saying a big 'thank you' just doesn't seem enough. I'm so grateful to whoever this person is," he said.

"It is brilliant to know that there are people out there like this woman who have been generous enough to support the appeal. It's amazing that someone would donate this amount."

Andrew's running efforts have seen him raise £4,000. He also wrote to every Premier League football club for signed footballs for Cancer Research to auction off which generated £1,800.

"At one point the doctors said they couldn't commit themselves into saying I'd live through the next hour, let alone the next 24 hours or a week," he said.

"By last year I was the proudest person running the 26 miles of the London Marathon.

"It was a great opportunity to give something back to an organisation that saved my life."

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