THE wife of a café owner who died in a road accident in Worcester said she will cry as she watches her friend run the London Marathon in her late husband's memory.

It will be an emotional day for Tina Dodd as she watches close family friend Steph Thompson run around the streets of the capital.

We previously reported in your Worcester News how Geoff Dodd, who, with his wife, owned the city's four Café Loco outlets - two at Foregate Street train station, another at Shrub Hill and one at North Quay, alongside the river Severn - died of an unknown heart condition.

He was involved in a road accident at traffic lights at the junction of Castle Street and The Butts, Worcester, in November.

Mrs Dodd, a former police officer who received an MBE for her services to West Mercia police, said: "Steph is going to run with pictures of Geoff on her top so I will be crying every time I see her.

"This is the third time she has taken part in the marathon but this year she is running for Heart UK because Geoff died of an undiagnosed heart condition at the age of 54.

"He had been running around Pitchcroft 10 minutes before he died."

Mrs Dodd said it has been a struggle to run four businesses and raise their 14-year-old son Jack, but that watching her friend complete the marathon in her husband's memory will help with the healing process.

She said: "We all went down to support her last year so doing things like this helps."

Mrs Thompson, of The Hill Avenue, Worcester, said: "For me it's going to be a personal marathon this time.

"Geoff was a close family friend. We went on holiday with him, played games with him, he was just a big part of my life.

"Last year, Geoff and his wife came down to the London Marathon to support me, so this one will be very poignant."

Mrs Thompson needs to raise £1,500 for Heart UK - a charity which conducts research into heart conditions and provides information and support to people at risk of inherited high cholestoral and cardiovascular disease.

The 45-year-old, who is a teacher at Bishop Perowne CE High School in Merriman's Hill Road, Worcester, has organised a jumble sale, a raffle and a cake sale at St Mark's Church in Bath Road this afternoon. It will take place between 2.30pm and 4.30pm and everyone is welcome.

There will also be a fund-raising quiz evening at the church on Saturday, April 5.

Anyone wishing to make a donation can do so at one of the events or by logging on to www.justgiving.com/ stephaniethompson1