Marathon death girl was running in memory of her brother: Charity donations rocket past £200,000 for Samaritans

When Claire Squires’s brother died of an overdose aged just 25, her mother and father suffered the heartache that every parent dreads.

Now they are struggling to come to terms with the tragedy of losing a second child after their youngest daughter collapsed and died while running the London Marathon for charity.

Last night, in an extraordinary tribute to Miss Squires, 30, donations for her chosen charity the Samaritans poured in at a rate of thousands of pounds an hour.

At the time of her death, her internet fundraising page at JustGiving.com had attracted £500 – but late last night, with 19,200 donors pledging money, the total had soared to £200,000, and continued to rise.        More Read