Keen sportsmen from a Pickering school have raised cash in memory of a former pupil who died of a heart related illness.

Matthew Brown, Ben Brough and James Harland all completed the Great North Run a grueling half marathon to raise funds for CRY, Cardiac Risk in the Young, a national charity which raises awareness of undetected heart conditions in young people.

The pupils were all coached by deputy head boy Mike Scott, who collapsed and died in 1996.

Since his death, families and friends have raised thousands of pounds for the charity in his memory.

Mike’s mum Marjorie said: “After Mike died we had to go for screening at St George’s Hospital in London – with it being a genetic problem it was possible our other son, Ben may have the condition.

“There was a poster there about CRY, and how they had raised money to buy an Echocardiogram (Echo) and Electrocardiogram (ECG) machines, to help cardiologists diagnose these conditions, and we decided to fundraise for them.”

Mrs Scott said the family were overwhelmed at how much people still wanted to raise money in Mike’s memory.

“Mike used to do a coaching session with basketball, and the boys were all coached by him when they were younger.

“They have been tremendous, I think young people especially have picked up on raising money.

“People just continue doing it, we don’t really have to ask.”