Dying for charity

The website set up by Claire Squires, the thirty year old from Leicestershire who died last week running the London marathon for the Samaritans, has now raised more than a million pounds.

I'm not sure how much, if any, support the Samaritans get from Government but as the economy goes into recession again, wages are frozen and unemployment tops two and a half million, it clearly needs more. As with other charities, the number of people committing suicide should not depend on how many volunteers are dedicated enough to run a marathon or shake a bucket in the street.

And maybe I'm being cynical, but I can't help thinking that the death of a young, attractive woman has raised money in a way that that of a middle-aged balding guy with a paunch would not have done.