A FESTIVAL to raise funds for a little-known health condition will take place at a Ferndown farm next month.

The Potato Pants Festival, now in its second year, will feature live music, a bouncy castle and a bar.

The event raises funds for sufferers of hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP), a progressive gait disorder which leads to stiffness and contraction in the limbs.

Ian Bennett, chair of the HSP Support Group, said: "A lady affected with the early stages of this rare neurological condition once explained to a close friend that her condition made her feel as if she permanently had ten kilograms of potatoes in her trousers, causing her to be very clumsy and fatigued. "Little did she know that this analogy would mark the beginning of many fundraising events and it is hoped that ‘potato pants’ activities will do for HSP what the ice bucket challenge did for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, which is also known ALS or Lou Gehrig’s Disease."

The festival will take place at High Mead Farm in Ham Lane on June 3. Half of the profits will go to HSP research, with half going back to the farm, which offers activities for people with disabilities.

Visitors will be entertained by eight live acts on the day. In between each performance, festival-goers will be invited to put on specially-made trousers, fill them with potatoes and race each other.

Mr Bennett said: "This may sound crazy, but it’s great fun and gives people some idea of what it’s like to have mobility problems."

Ferndown mayor Councillor Cathy Lugg will attend the event, which begins at 2pm.

Admission is £5 for adults and £2.50 for anyone under the age of 18.

For more information, visit potatopantsfestival.co.uk