TWO half-sisters of the girlfriend of a York Royal Marine who died in Afghanistan have set about raising funds for the City of York Afghanistan Memorial Appeal.

Courtney Robertson, 11, and her sister Megan, eight, helped by their nine-year-old friend Allyson Dale, baked cakes and sold them at a stall at the end of their drive.

The cake stall in Barkston Avenue, Chapelfields, was a big hit with locals, and the children raised £30, said Courtney and Megan’s proud mother Samantha.

Samantha said: “They baked fairy cakes, chocolate krispies, scones and chocolate brownies and were out there selling them for three hours on Monday, which was a training day at their school, Westfield Primary, at the end of the half-term holiday. They were freezing.”

She said the girls were half-sisters of Sarah Horsley, girlfriend of David Hart, 23, of Poppleton, who was killed in an explosion while on foot patrol in Sangin, Helmand, Afghanistan last year.

“They said they wanted to do something for Dave,” she said.

The appeal aims to raise £200,000 to fund a new permanent monument in the city centre, which would highlight the regiments associated with the city who have fought in Afghanistan and also list the names of all the York servicemen who have died there, including Marine Hart. It would supplement a memorial stone already situated in the Memorial Gardens.

Many scores of donations have been received since the appeal was launched at the start of the year and the total now stands at more than £3,000, with one of the latest donations being £200 from The Parish Church of St Chad’s on Knavesmire.

• To donate to the appeal, you can send cheques payable to The City of York Afghanistan Memorial Appeal to Mike Laycock, The Press, 76-86 Walmgate, York, YO1 9YN. Please give your name, address and phone number if possible.