A STOURPORT man is gearing up to put on his running shoes to tackle the Flora London Marathon in memory of his daughter who died of cot death.

David Mitchell, of Torridon Close, will get on his marks to raise money for The Foundation For The Study of Infant Deaths (FSID) - a charity that works to prevent sudden deaths in children.

The 46-year-old, who used to play for Wilden Football Club, wants to raise awareness of the charity following the sudden death of his seven-month-old daughter, Kate, in 1983.

Mr Mitchell has been training non-stop for the event and is hoping to raise £15,000 for his efforts.

He said: "Running the marathon is something I've always wanted to do. I decided to run it because I wanted to do something challenging that would get me fit and do something for my daughter.

"Kate's death came as a big blow to the family and It's something that I will never get over.

"I have never had a chance to do anything like this as I have mainly been involved in the local football scene.

"I decided that now I have packed in playing football, I would go out and do what I said I would and raise money for charity."

He added: "Training for the marathon has been a real eye opener.

"I have had a lot of support from my partner, Natalie and my children, Benjamin, Daniel and Emily.

"Before I lost Kate I didn't realise that so many families were affected by cot death. "It will be nice to help the foundation and let people know that cot death is a lot bigger than they realise.

"I'm going to run until the end, there's no doubt about it, even if I have to crawl along the finish line."

He added that he was "quietly" confident of running the full 26.2 miles thanks to the support of his family and friends.

People wishing to donate money should log on to www.justgiving.com/david mitchell2