Fundraising grandad bares 'knobbly knees' for a year

The grandfather of four showed off his legs daily to raise money for research into a nervous system disease

A 74-year-old grandfather has spent a year wearing shorts and exposing his "knobbly knees" to raise money for a charity close to his heart.

David Arnold, from Cambridgeshire, lost his niece to ataxia - a degenerative disease of the nervous system.

No stranger to shorts, last New Year's Eve he pledged to wear them every day of 2019, turning heads at funerals, weddings and choral concerts.

He has raised more than £4,500 and finally put his long trousers back on.

"I did get a lot of funny looks and my legs were pretty cold at times," said Mr Arnold, reflecting on 12 months without any trousers.

Over the year he wore specially-tailored shorts for formal occasions such as a wedding and choral concerts

"The biggest challenge has been formal occasions, as at my age you go to funerals quite a lot, and I've worn shorts - a friend tailored some trousers into smart shorts for me," Mr Arnold, from Balsham, said.

"Also concerts - I sing in choirs and read at our church so I put formal shorts on then."

Mr Arnold has more than 10 pairs to suit all occasions

Asked whether people reacted negatively when he turned up without trousers, he said he usually arrived with fundraising leaflets for the charity Ataxia UK.

"Once they know what I'm doing and why they're relaxed about it," he said.

"But my cousin doesn't like my knobbly knees."

He has posted a photo on his Facebook page every day for the past year

Not everyone appreciates the "knobbly knee" look, he said

His niece Louisa Arnold, who lived in Torquay, was diagnosed with Friedreich's ataxia when she was seven and died in October 2018 at the age of 35.

"It affects the nervous tissue in the spinal cord resulting in total loss of movement... speech deteriorates over time and it leads to heart disease," Mr Arnold said.

Louisa Arnold, pictured with her carer and "beloved" dog Jake

He said he had hoped to raise £1,000 but tripled that.

He added he thought his niece would have thought he was "a crazy idiot, but oh yes, she would have been smiling - definitely smiling".