THOUSANDS of pounds has been raised for good causes by friends and relatives of a young airman who died from a viral infection only days after returning home from a tour of duty in Kosovo.

Cpl Simon Beadel, 25, had returned to his parents home in Highworth just after Christmas having been based at a joint services camp in Kosovo where he was a physical training instructor with the RAF.

Simon’s mother Sue said: "He came home as a surprise – we didn’t know he was going to be coming home for the new year."

Simon fell ill very quickly and died from total renal failure only a few hours after he was diagnosed with pneumonia and sepsis on January 6.

In his memory a summer ball was organised by his friends and family at the Cotswold Water Park Four Pillars Hotel to celebrate his life and to raise money for his favourite charity, Help For Heroes.

In total it raised £13,365 and this week Sue and Simon’s father Chris, who are both ex-military, met with representatives from the charity to hand over the cheque.

Over 250 people attended the ball and the evening was launched by a team from the Silver Stars in South Cerney who parachuted in.

Dozens of gifts were donated for an auction from many local businesses, friends and colleagues of Simon’s in the armed forces, including a day with the Red Arrows display team.

"The amount of support that was shown by everyone would have blown him away," Sue added. "We geared the whole evening to what he would have liked.

"We had huge support from the hotel and people from Highworth and Swindon and from the military.

"Simon was a big fan of Help For Heroes and as his parents we were happy to take up his mantle."