Heart group auction

A policeman is holding a charity auction to help fund free heart tests for a rare condition likened to an adult cot death.

Robi Fox, who is among Suffolk police’s helicopter crew, lost his 13-year-old daughter Laura in 1999 just days after she returned from a family holiday.

Her parents believe the Farlingaye High School, Woodbridge, pupil was the victim of a rare condition called cardiac arrhythmia.

Mr Fox and his wife, Kate, are now county reps for a charity called Cardiac Risk in the Young and have raised money to buy an ECG machine for a doctors’ surgery, as well as funding a special screening weekend for teenagers.  The couple have now organised an auction to be held at Suffolk police’s headquarters in Martlesham to raise money for further screening events.

“I am a dad who has lost his daughter: It’s about raising awareness; we didn’t know this could happen or how frequently is happened.  We would like the opportunity to stop it happening and provide families with that opportunity,” said Mr Fox.

The auction is on July 17 and will feature about 85 prizes, including a tour of the Aston Martin factory.