The disease kills a third of people within a year and more than half within two years of diagnosis

One fatal illness has a host of symptoms that can easily be dismissed, including weakness in the ankles or legs, muscle cramps or weight loss.

Motor neurone disease (MND) affects up to 5,000 adults in the UK at any one time and some six people per day die from it, just under 2,200 per year. The disease has no cure.

A number of famous rugby stars have spoken out about their diagnosis with the severe condition, including league player Rob Burrow and union sportsman Doddie Wier, who sadly died from the illness last year. They are among the six Brits-a-day diagnosed with MND, with a person's lifetime risk of developing the condition around 1 in 300 - and have inspired one Manchester firefighter to do something about the disease.

MND is a fatal, rapidly progressing disease that affects the brain and spinal cord, says the Motor Neurone Disease Association. It attacks the nerves that control movement so muscles no longer work. MND does not usually affect the senses such as sight, sound, and feeling.

It can leave people locked in a failing body, unable to move, talk and eventually breathe. Over 80 per cent of people with MND will have communication difficulties, including for some, a complete loss of voice.

MND affects people from all communities and it kills a third of people within a year and more than half within two years of diagnosis.

Manchester firefighter David Kendal is taking on an epic 500 mile cycling challenge from Blackpool to Paris to raise money and awareness for the Motor Neurones Disease Association. David, 49 who works for Greater Manchester Fire And Rescue Service has been inspired to take on the challenge by the stories of Doddie Weir and Rob Burrow, as well as the recent diagnosis of a work colleague with MND.

David has been wanting to do the challenge for a number of years and has now set the wheels in motion to ensure that he completes the challenge before his 50th birthday. The 500 mile cycle challenge will take place across just five days and see David travel from tower to tower, setting off from Blackpool Tower on May 23 and finishing in Paris on May 27.

The ride will be done completely solo and David will have to carry all of his equipment all of the way. He will also be sleeping on a chair on the ferry meaning that he might not have as much sleep as he would like before heading into France.

Speaking about the challenge David said: “I am really excited but also a little bit apprehensive about taking on this huge challenge. Being sat in the saddle for so many hours is certainly going to be an experience!

"I hope that the weather is kind and the final push will be a big challenge due to not having a cabin on the ferry, so doing I’ll be doing the longest and last leg after sleeping on a ferry chair. It is great to be supporting the MND Association though and I hope to raise a lot of money and awareness for such a great cause.”

Around 35 per cent of people with MND experience mild cognitive change, in other words, changes in thinking and behaviour. A further 15 per cent of people show signs of frontotemporal dementia, which results in more pronounced behavioural change.

But these signs can come with a number of other symptoms people can watch out for.

Symptoms of motor neurone disease
Symptoms of motor neurone disease happen gradually and may not be obvious at first, says the NHS.

Early symptoms can include:

weakness in your ankle or leg – you might trip, or find it harder to climb stairs
slurred speech, which may develop into difficulty swallowing some foods
a weak grip – you might drop things, or find it hard to open jars or do up buttons
muscle cramps and twitches
weight loss – your arms or leg muscles may have become thinner over time
difficulty stopping yourself from crying or laughing in inappropriate situations
Who gets MND and why?
Motor neurone disease mainly affects people in their 60s and 70s, but it can affect adults of all ages, according to the NHS. It's caused by a problem with cells in the brain and nerves called motor neurones.

These cells gradually stop working over time. It's not known why this happens. Having a close relative with motor neurone disease, or a related condition called frontotemporal dementia, can sometimes mean you're more likely to get it.

But it does not run in families in most cases.

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