A gym manager will be running the London Marathon in memory of his sister and nephew who died in 2010 during childbirth.

Richard Bell, 33, who runs PureGym in Holloway Road, Upper Holloway, will be taking part in the event for the second year in a row with the hope of raising £5,000 for Action on Pre-eclampsia (APEC).

He tragically lost his youngest sister Annemaria – who was 25 years old – and his nephew, Alfie, during childbirth due to the devastating disease which can affect pregnant women.

Speaking ahead of the marathon, Mr Bell, of Vauxhall, said: “Action on Pre-eclampsia is an incredibly important charity to me. Raising money for them is my way of keeping my sister and nephew’s memory alive.

“Because it is such a small charity it’s great to be able to help them in the incredible work they do.”

Mr Bell will be running the marathon with his best friend Louis who was with him all the way last year. The two of them ran the marathon in four hours 30 minutes, raising £4,500 in the process, and they are both looking to improve their times to four hours after training since the beginning of January.

Pre-eclampsia affects up to 10 per cent of pregnancies and leads to the death of 1,000 babies and six women each year in the UK. APEC aims to raise awareness, improve care and ease suffering caused by this potentially devastating condition.

n To donate to Richard’s Just Giving page visit: https://www.justgiving.com/Richard-Bell9