ALZHEIMER's Research UK has received a gift of £279,933 from the late Michael Harnell, who started his career in Okehampton.

Michael lived in Exeter and spent his career with the Express and Echo newspaper.

He died from motor neurone disease in November 2012, aged 73. He left the gift in his will to the UK's leading dementia research charity in memory of his mother Freda, who died with Alzheimer's disease 15 years ago.

Michael's generous gift will make a major contribution towards a three year project funded by Alzheimer's Research UK at the University of Exeter Medical School.

Led by Dr Jon Brown, this study is looking at electrical signals in the brain to discover what happens when brain systems are disrupted by Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia.

The only child of Freda and Cyril, Michael was a former pupil of Hele's School in Exeter.

His father died 40 years ago of a brain tumor.

Michael started his career with the Express and Echo in Okehampton and later moved to the Exeter office where he worked in the accounts department.

He never married and when his mother became unwell he worked part-time to look after her but decided to retire when he was 52 to care for her full-time.

Dr Jon Brown, a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Exeter Medical School, said: 'We are extremely touched by Michael's generous gift to Alzheimer's Research UK, which will fund a major part of the dementia research project I am working on with my team here in Exeter.

'Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia steal memories and wreck lives, putting an enormous strain not just on individuals but their families and a much wider network of people.

'Michael would have been all too aware of this having cared for his mother and our research aims to have a direct impact on improving treatment for people living with dementia.'