An Epsom man has raised nearly £3,000 for a national charity ahead of taking part in the London Marathon.

Dipen Makhecha will be running the 26.2 mile course in April for Leukaemia Care, a national blood cancer charity.

The 38-year-old clinical pharmacist is running in memory of his grandmother.

Dipen said: “It’s been over 14 years since I lost my Grandmother to multiple myeloma, a form of blood cancer.

“It's hard to see someone you love so dearly be taken away so quickly. It really puts everything into perspective.

“I will always remember her love, inspiration and her passion for life.”

To show his appreciation for all those that helped when his grandmother ill, Dipen will be running for Leukaemia Care.

The charity supports patients and families living with cancer through helplines, support groups, patient and carer conferences, nurse education days, cancer campaigning and accredited cancer information and literature.

Clare Brooks, who works with the marathon runners at Leukaemia Care, said: “Our runners make all the difference to people who need that bit extra support.

“I’ve followed all our runners, including Dipen, from the point of sign up and I can’t wait for Dipen to cross that finishing line.”

This will be Dipen’s first marathon, having only recently completed his first half marathon earlier this year when he came in the top 10 per cent for the Thorpe Park Half Marathon.

“I’m hoping to run the marathon in four hours, not an easy task especially as this is my first marathon,” he said.

“I have run up to 22 miles in training and I run consistently about three times a week at night once the kids have gone to sleep!”

Dipen’s fundraising target was £2,250, but he has managed to smash his goal with a current total of £2,800.

If you’d like to help Dipen reach the £3,000 mark, you can donate via his online giving page: https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/DipenMakhecha