STAFF and customers at a Torfaen store will be in the pink for the next fortnight as they try to raise money for breast cancer research.

For the fifth year running, Asda Cwmbran has joined the other 247 stores nationwide to launch its Tickled Pink campaign for Breast Cancer Care.

During the coming two weeks, the firm's employees hope to take the supermarket's fundraising total from £1.4 million to over the £2 million mark with a series of events in the store. Raffles will be held, employees will wear pink to work and there will be karaoke and best Grease character lookalike competitions.

Store manager Ray Burge will even don a pink outfit, with the first customer to spot him and take him to the in-store greeter winning an Asda gift voucher.

There will also be a range of more than 20 Tickled Pink products on sale, including pink pasta and toiletries, T-shirts and badges and specially-designed George clothing. Profits from the sales will go towards Breast Cancer Care's national freephone helpline to offer information and support to those affected by the disease.

Celebrities Carol Vorderman, Naomi Campbell, Delia Smith and chart-toppers Atomic Kitten (pictured) and Hear'Say have all signed up to the campaign to help raise awareness of the disease, which accounts for one in four cancers.

More than 35,000 women and 270 men are diagnosed each year and women have a one in ten chance of developing the disease by the age of 85.

Eighty per cent of all breast cancers are in post-menopausal women, but more than 7,000 younger women are also diagnosed. However, nine in ten breast lumps are benign.

Ray Burge said: "We're Tickled Pink to be supporting Breast Cancer Care and our campaign gives people the opportunity to raise funds for a really worthwhile charity whilst having fun at the same time."

*FOR information and advice about the disease, contact the free Breast Cancer Care national helpline on 0808 800 6000 or the hearing impaired can textphone 0808 800 6001.