A Clevedon police sergeant has handed over £600 to three charities in memory of a friend who died suddenly from meningitis.

Sergeant Gareth Starr, who is based at Clevedon Police Station, raised the money for the Meningitis Trust, NSPCC and Water Aid by taking part in the Clevedon Boxing Day run and Weston-super-Mare's Tough Ten race in February.

His efforts were all in memory of his friend Steve Blewitt, aged 43, from Weston-super-Mare who died from meningococcal meningitis late last year.

Sgt Starr met Steve, who had two children and two stepchildren and lived in Weston-super-Mare, when he was working at the former Midland Bank in the early 1990s.

The two became firm friends and remained pals when Gareth joined Avon and Somerset Police in 1992.

The bank doubled the total amount that Sgt Starr raised through sponsorship.

Sgt Starr said: "Steve was such a great friend and I know he would be pleased that I have raised so much for such important causes.

"Water Aid and the NSPCC were two charities that Steve cared about and supported regularly – he actually had a dream to volunteer in Africa."

Sgt Starr is an experienced runner and has already done three half-marathons and taken part in the Tough Ten Challenge and Clevedon's Boxing Day Road Race in the past. Juliette Baker, from HSBC, said: "We are proud to be able to match the funds raised by Sgt Starr for such worthy causes and in the memory of such a popular colleague."