A POOLE teacher who broke her leg while running the London Marathon has smashed her fundraising target by almost £1,000.

Jo Denton, who teaches at Poole Grammar School, was running to raise money for Children with Cancer UK when she suffered what she thought was a sprained knee 22 miles in.

Strangers Joanne Graham and Sally Daley, who were also running for Children with Cancer UK, then came to Jos’ aid by taking her weight.

A man gave Jo a piggyback for a few hundred metres before she was carried a short way by a nurse and her friends with a spectator even offering her a pair of crutches.

Two people from St John's Ambulance then pushed Jo in a wheelchair for the last mile of the race before another runner helped her to hop over the finish line.

Jo said: “When I set my target of raising £1,800, I did not imagine I would break my leg.

“I am currently in a great deal of pain, am unfit to work at Poole Grammar School, the most amazing teaching job I've ever had with wonderfully supportive staff and an abundance of students who are truly a pleasure to teach.

“I've even had to cancel my daughter's 9th birthday sleepover when I was admitted to hospital after severe swelling of my leg. The way I have stayed positive through this ordeal is to use the publicity my marathon story has generated to try to double my original target. I have so far raised £2,745.”

She added: “While I regret letting down my daughter and my classes at Poole Grammar School, it is very difficult to regret what happened on 22nd April: I have already raised so much more than planned for such a worthwhile cause; have met some truly inspirational and generous people, including some who will remain friends for life; and have one pretty amazing story to tell my grandchildren.”

To make a donation visit https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/Jo_Denton