CHILDREN raised more than £3,000 in memory of their classmate who died from a rare form of cancer just before Christmas.

Byron Want was just 10 years old when he developed a rare tumour, but his friends from Springfield Primary School pledged to raise funds in his honour.

Year 5 pupils washed cars and sold cakes on Wednesday, March 29, with a portion of the fundraising total going towards a memorial tree for Byron.

They organised games, entertainment and a steel pan performance, before releasing red balloons into the air to celebrate Byron's Day.

Stuart Godfrey, deputy head teacher at Springfield, said: "He was a popular little boy; he had lots of friends. He loved sport and superheroes and so the children wanted to organise a charity day along those lines.

"Byron passed away just before Christmas last year as a result of osteosarcoma and we decided to raise money for a cancer charity, as well as the hospice that supported Byron and his family towards the end.

"We decided to run the event on Wednesday because it would have been his half-birthday.

"The children have been brilliant. They wanted to have a memorial tree in the school so that they would never forget Byron.

"They have worked very hard to come up with great fundraising ideas to raise as much as they possibly can and Byron's family were very supportive of the event.

"The pupils organised a car wash throughout the day and took donations for a cake sale. Little Heath School also brought their mini bus down for us to clean."

Children dressed up as superheroes and collected £3,089 for Sarcoma UK - the bone and soft tissue cancer charity - and Helen & Douglas House, a specialist hospice for children and young adults.

Sarcomas are rare cancers, which develop in the muscles, bones and blood vessels.

Visit: justgiving.com/crowdfunding/springfieldprimary-byronsday to make a donation to Byron's fundraising page.