A FAMILY which suffered a cruel double blow in less than a year has joined the local community in helping to raise charity cash.

It has been a tragic nine months for the Readshaw family, from Ferryhill, who discovered in January that eight-year-old daughter Catherine was suffering from leukaemia.

She is undergoing two years of chemotherapy to try to rid her of the disease, but will now face the painful treatment without the support of her 13-year-old sister, Anne-Marie, who died last month while on a swimming trip with her friends.

Anne-Marie died while on a visit to the baths at Spennymoor Leisure Centre. She is believed to have suffered an epileptic fit in the water.

The St John's RC School pupil was pulled unconscious from the pool and taken to Bishop Auckland General Hospital, where she was confirmed dead on arrival.

Her grandmother, Mayor of Ferryhill Councillor Kath Conroy, said: "This has knocked Catherine back a little bit because Anne-Marie always used to sit with her when she was on any long stay at the hospital.

"Catherine has just had pneumonia and been in hospital for five weeks."

People have rallied around to support the family.

On Wednesday, a cheque for £1,300 was presented to Catherine at her school, Tudhoe St Charles RC Primary School, which will be donated to the Children's Cancer Fund at the Royal Victoria Infirmary, in Newcastle, where she is being treated.

The money was raised by Elaine Long, a parent at the school, and Sue Mitchell, a nursery nurse, who both ran the Great North Run.

Emma Gough, 13, from St John's RC School, also ran the junior marathon to help.

The charity fundraising effort had been arranged prior to Anne-Marie's death.

Mrs Conroy said the family had received tremendous support from local people.

"The parish, the school and the community have all been the best. They have been fantastic," she said.