A CHARITY runner who had her heart set on tackling the Paris half marathon has been dealt a blow after being asked to pay £148 before her doctor would fill in the form she needed.

Ellie Jordan, 25, lost both her grandparents last year - her grandmother died in Prospect Hospice in August, her grandad died just three months later.

After an emotionally tough 2016, the 25-year-old housing officer from Greenmeadow decided that this year she wanted to take on an ambitious challenge to pay tribute to her grandparents.

Ellie joined forces with her friend Gina and signed up to run in the Paris half marathon next month to raise money for Prospect.

To take part in running events in France you need to get a doctor to fill in a simple form which Ellie took to her GP surgery - Home Ground in North Swindon.

“When I first went in they said I had to write a letter,” said Ellie. “I did that but then they came back and told me it would be £148.

“I’ve asked three times now, I even wrote to the practice manager and she said the same thing.

“At my running club people said they normally pay around £20.

“I’ve even told them I’m doing it for charity - they said if I didn’t want to pay I could have a CD with my medical records on and take it somewhere else.

“It’s making me very angry, I was crying on Wednesday.”

The surgery’s request is the equivalent of five hour’s pay for one of its GPs - the practice website lists their average hourly rate as £28.37.

And what makes matters worse for Ellie is that her running partner Gina has managed to get her doctor to complete the same form without any trouble.

Ellie says another friend recently underwent a full examination as part of a life insurance application and that only cost £100.

But she says this is more than a frustration, it could be the difference between taking to the streets in the French capital or staying at home.

“I really can’t see how they can justify it,” added Ellie. “I can’t be the only person in Swindon who has ever needed this.

“Sadly the alternative is I won’t run. I can’t afford to pay that and I’m not going to use money from people who have sponsored me.”

The Home Ground surgery refused to comment when approached by the Adver.

If you would like to help Ellie with her drive to raise money for Prospect, you can visit her fundraising page here:

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Elise-Gina