A WEST Somerset husband and wife have completed one of the UK’s most challenging half-marathons in memory of family members and friends who have lost their lives to cancer.

Simon and Cassie Simmonds, who work in the Specsavers Minehead store, raised £1,117 by taking part in this year’s iconic 13.1-mile Great North Run as part of their fund-raising campaign for Cancer Research UK, which included £601 in June from a bake sale in the store.

They were joined by Simon’s daughter, Daisy, who said she wanted to support the charity as it continues its dedication to saving and improving lives with frontline research into the disease.

The family’s decision to take part in the event, which this year attracted 63,000 runners, came after they had all seen first-hand how the disease affects people.

Simon’s first wife and Daisy’s mother, Sophie, died of cancer in 2015, and a store colleague lost their grandmother to cancer this year.

Mr Simmonds, the store’s ophthalmic director, said: “We did the race in memory of those we have known whose lives were cut short by cancer and to others who, thankfully, survived having it.

“We will continue organising and taking part in fund-raising events to support Cancer Research UK, which is such an important cause.”

Cancer Research UK undertakes life-saving research into more than 200 types of cancer, with people’s donations, fund-raising, and volunteering all supporting the work.

Mrs Simmonds said: “Together with the rest of the team and our generous customers, we have raised a quite a bit of money in a relatively short time.

“This is very important to us because most of us have been touched by cancer in some way and we want to do what we can to help charities such as Cancer Research UK to find a cure.”