ALMOST three years to the day of the sudden death of his young son after an asthma attack, Manoj Panchmatia is hitting the fundraising trail once again.

Having previously raised more than £20,000 on a trip along the Great Wall of China, he and friend Hitash Mastor are preparing to spend two weeks trekking through the Himalayas.

They are hoping to raise thousands more for two charities dedicated to curing asthma, one of which is based in Southampton.

Manoj and his wife Namrata, from Chandler's Ford, lost their nine-year-old son Anuj to the condition.

Illness He had been warming up for a school football match when he was struck by the respiratory illness.

An inquest heard how Anuj had been running around the field as normal when all of a sudden he collapsed to the floor and stopped breathing.

Staff and the matron at the private Stroud School in Romsey immediately rushed to the boy's aid and started resuscitation while an ambulance was called.

Attempts to revive him failed and he died later the same day at Southampton General Hospital.

The inquest into his death also heard how despite having been diagnosed as suffering from a mild form of asthma, the former Highfield Primary School pupil had always been a sporty lad, though he had had to take medication for his condition at times.

A post-mortem showed Anuj had suffered what Home Office paediatric pathology specialist Dr Deborah Cook called a "sudden, extreme and tragic asthma attack".

Prior to setting off on their trip next week, Manoj and Hitash hosted another fundraising event, with hundreds of people gathering at Posh restaurant on Queensway, Southampton.

As well as a flat screen TV, digital radio and other electrical gadgets, an England cricket shirt signed by Hampshire's Dimitri Mascarenhas, were up for grabs in auctions and raffles.

All cash raised by the event and the trek will go to Asthma UK and AAIR, a research charity based at Southampton General Hospital.

If you would like to donate visit www.justgiving.com/anuj-2007.