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 an arduous half-marathon to raise funds for CRY, a London-based charity working with cardiac risk in the young.

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

Since his death, family 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 carried it.

"There was a poster there about CRY, and how they had raised money to buy an echo cardiagram (ECG) machine, and we decided to do the same."

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."

The trio all completed the Great North Run to come up with the cash.

Updated: 11:01 Wednesday, January 08, 2003