FRIENDS and family of a teenager killed by meningitis have raised an impressive £16,000 by taking part in a charity race in London.

Bournemouth School for Girls pupil Connie Moore, pictured inset, died in January after being struck down by the disease.

Since then the 16-year-old’s family and friends have taken part in numerous events to raise money for research into meningitis.

And the latest saw a team of 32 take part in the London Bupa 10,000 run in the capital on May 25.

The group was brought together by Connie’s friend Lyndon Duley, 15, who said: “The race was our tribute to Connie and showed how much she is loved and missed by all who knew her. We hope we made her proud.”

Bournemouth School student George Brewster, 16, also took part in the race. He said: “It was really nice to get the majority of Connie’s close friends together to not only remember the amazing person she was, but to also hope that in the future this won’t happen to other people.

“I hope eventually, because of the great work of charities such as the Meningitis Research Foundation (MRF), this disease can be stopped.”

Nicola McClure, regional ambassador for MRF, said she was delighted with the amount of money raised.

She added: “We are incredibly proud of Connie’s friends and family. The money will go a long way to help others with meningitis and septicaemia.”

Team Connie members have decided to make the 10K run an annual event and hope that the £16,000 raised so far in Connie’s memory will continue to grow and help fund research and awareness into meningitis. An inquest into Connie’s death in April found that despite an early differential diagnosis of meningitis, staff at the Royal Bournemouth Hospital failed to give Connie potentially life-saving antibiotics for four hours, in breach of NICE guidelines and then gave Connie a lumbar puncture, despite indications that this should not have been carried out, which led to Connie’s death.

To sponsor Team Connie please visit the website: justgiving.co.uk/remember/99702 /connie-moore A group of Connie’s cousins and friends are also planning to take part in the Three Peaks Challenge on September 13 and donations for that event can also be made via the Just Giving page.