An east London house DJ has organised a fundraiser at the Ministry of Sound to raise funds for his twin brother who has been in a coma after contracting Covid last year.

Bobby Laviniere, 57, from Redbridge, has DJ’d with brother Steve since the two first took to the decks in 1984.

They toured the world, hosted a regular show on Kiss FM and pioneered the growth of soulful house music in the UK.

In March 2020, the twins were admitted to hospital with Covid-19 following a trip to Madrid.

Both were put in an induced coma; while Bobby was brought out after seven days, Steve had a rare neurological reaction which has left him unable to do anything other than open his eyes.

The Dance for Stevie event, which will be held on October 3, aims to raise enough funds to upgrade Steve’s house in Forest Gate, enabling him to move back home with his wife.

Bobby came up with the idea following a house visit earlier this year, which saw Steve leave hospital to spend a few hours at home with his close family.

Steve didn’t spasm once during the visit, which Bobby said he had been doing around three times an hour in the hospital.

Bobby added: “We knew that Steve needed to be home, and he needed to be surrounded by love. Love is the medicine for Steve.”

Bobby described himself and Steve as “extremely close”, explaining how there would not be a day or two when they did not talk to one another.

He said: “If there was a problem, we’d sort it out. He knew my feelings and I knew his feelings.

“Our relationship is very, very close indeed. It’s when what’s happened to Steve that you realise the spiritual connection you have."

The family is aiming to raise a combined total of £180,000 from the event – which features the likes of David Morales, Trevor Nelson, Norman Jay, DJ Spen and Michael Gray – as well as a GoFundMe page.

Bobby said that getting Steve home would “mean the world.”

“Steve needs us to be with him, he needs to be surrounded by his family, he needs that spiritual connection, he needs that touch, he needs to be told 'you’re going to be alright' face to face."