SHE has had the support of Hollywood hunk Johnny Depp and sexy screen siren Angelina Jolie but this weekend it was Hampshire's turn to help.

Friends, family and well-wishers, including television star Chris Tarrant and Saints legends Matthew Le Tissier and James Beattie all came out in force for Hampshire teenager Sophie Wilkinson, right.

Hundreds turned out for the glamorous gala ball at the Botley Park Hotel to raise thousands for Sophie's Gift.

The 18-year-old has been in a coma since October after a horror car crash that left her fighting for her life.

As a thank you to all the medical staff at Southampton General Hospital for saving her life, the Wilkinson family from Bishop's Waltham set themselves a target of raising money towards a £250,000 mobile head scanner.

And just five minutes into the evening, Mike Osman, compere for the evening, got everybody rummaging through their pockets to raise £3,000.

Everyone then paused to watch an emotional video from the family tracking Sophie's daily routine as a reminder to why they were all there.

Spirits were lifted by an extraordinary performance from String Fever, an electric string quartet that wowed the crowd, receiving a much deserved standing ovation.

Then it was time for the cash to start flowing in as guests got the chance to bid for exclusive auction prizes including a signed guitar from rock legends U2.

Chris Tarrant said: "When Mike Osman told me about the Wilkinson story I said I would do what I could and if we can raise £250,000 that would be pretty cool.

"As a parent your heart goes out to the family, so many awful things happen in the world and hopefully we, here tonight can do some good."

If you would like to pledge your support visit sophies-gift.com.