MUM Fran Chandler whose soldier son died when a tank exploded during a training exercise has completed a ten mile run in his memory and raised more than £1,000 for the Royal British Legion.

Ms Chandler, 52, was joined in the Great South Run by her partner Ben Doherty, her daughter Samantha, Samantha's partner Keiran Evans and friend Kimberley Richmond and her partner Dan Baker.

All of them were running to keep alive the memory of Corporal Matthew Hatfield, 27, and to raise money for a charity close to his heart.

Ms Chandler, who finished in 2hrs 37mins, said: "The ran went great and we all got round some surprisingly faster than expected. I managed the whole run without walking although not too fast but I was nursing a knee injury that I picked up a fortnight before at the Westbury 10k so my prime objective was getting around."

Mr Evans was first home in 1hr 17mins and Mr Doherty completed the distance in 1hr 30 and Samantha in 2hrs 15. Miss Richmond and Ms Chandler ran and finished together.

Ms Chandler said: "Kimberley's partner Dan did an amazing job of coaching us along and getting us home. We hope to beat our times next year."

Her son, who served with the Royal Tank Regiment based in Tidworth, died in June following the explosion at Castlemartin in Pembrokeshire, Wales in June. Another soldier also died and two were seriously injured.

Cpl Hatfield, who grew up in Everleigh and was a former pupil of Pewsey Vale School, knew he wanted to be a soldier from the moment he became an army cadet in Marlborough and signed up as soon as he left school aged 16.

He played rugby for Devizes, cricket for Collingbourne and swam for Pewsey and Tidworth. He had many friends in Devizes, where his grandmother lives, and surrounding areas who were all devastated by his death.

Ms Chandler said: "He used to encourage me to keep fit and I try and keep his advice in my mind. I am still finding it very hard to realise he is no longer with us.

“I try to take strength from the fact that Matthew loved his job and always said he would have no regrets should anything happen to him.

“It’s awful that he was so young with his whole life ahead of him. He has a five-year-old daughter and explaining to her what has happened will always be very hard.

“The army was his life. He loved his job and always wanted to be a soldier. He came back from Afghanistan and Iraq completely fine and it’s surreal that he ended up losing his life in the UK."