BOXING legend Ricky Hatton packed a punch with staff and customers at Asda in Radcliffe to boost the profile of the Brain Tumour Research charity.

The former world welterweight champion was presented with a cheque for £17,000, collected in stores across Greater Manchester.

The Radcliffe store, off Pilkington Way, was responsible for the highest individual branch total, with more than £3,000 raised through cake sales, tombolas, and other events centred around the charity’s Wear A Hat Day.

‘Hitman’ Hatton spent time posing for pictures and signing autographs for the gathered crowds, and praised the work carried out by Brain Tumour Research.

He said: “One of the staff at my gym asked me to come down and help after she lost a family member to a brain tumour.

“I’m a patron of a lot of charities and it’s important to give time to them.

“I think if you are a professional, even if you’re retired like I am now, you have a responsibility to give back to people who are less fortunate.

“We take an awful lot of things for granted in this world, and I can’t think of anything worse than losing a family member to a brain tumour."

He added: “It’s very easy not to appreciate how lucky most of us are.

“I see giving things back to the community and helping out fantastic charities like this as just as much a part of my job as throwing a punch.”

Statistics show brain tumours kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer, but receive just one per cent of the national spend on cancer research.

Stephen Bonsall, community life champion for Asda Radcliffe, said: “Brain Tumour Research does brilliant work for such a worthy cause; we are delighted to be able to support them through our fundraising events.

“We would also like to thank all of our colleagues across our Manchester stores who took part and all of our customers who very generously donated – and a special thanks to Ricky Hatton for calling into store to meet some of the people of Radcliffe who put their hands in their pockets.”