A CHARITABLE trust set up in the name of military policeman who was killed in Iraq has raised £10,000 for local charities in the last month alone.

The Lance Corporal Ben Hyde Memorial Trust was set up by his father John in 2005 and has since raised around £100,000 for charity.

The 23-year-old from Northallerton was one of six Red Caps killed when the police station they were guarding was stormed by a violent 400-strong mob in 2003.

Mr Hyde presented the Royal Military Police Central Benevolent Fund with £5,000 on Remembrance Sunday and smaller sums to local causes supporting young people in sport.

The Trust gave £1,000 to Bedale sport club Sportsability, which caters for young people with disabilities, enabling the club to continue running after Sports England funds had been cut.

Hambleton District Council’s community leisure officer David Earl said: “The donation is fantastic news and will enable the club to carry on for the foreseeable future.

“We have seen more than 80 boys and girls take part in sporting activities in the last four years – and many of them have gone on to join mainstream sports clubs as a result, something they would not have done without Sportsability.”

Mr Hyde added: “We also donated £2,300 to the gymnastics club at Hambleton Leisure Centre for asymmetric bars.

“I heard the club was saving supermarket vouchers for a video camera to help with training and I offered to supply the cash for it.

“They said funds had almost been raised for the camera but asked if we could put money forward for the bars so they could take part in a number of new events at competitions.”

Mr Hyde will also be giving £800 to Stokesley Junior Football Club for new tracksuits, and the rest to other local charities and organisations.

Mr Hyde said more and more donations to the trust are coming in as its profile is rising.

“We hold an annual dinner to raise funds, plus for the last four to five years we have done a sponsored walk," he said.

For more information on the Lance Corporal Ben Hyde Memorial Trust call Mr Hyde on 01609-780980, and for Sportsability contact David Earl on 01609-767202.