A mum who lost her son last year completed a 10km run on Mothers Day to raise nearly £600 for the hospice who cared for him.

Elaine Whitehead, who works as a homelessness officer at Hyndburn Council, completed the Ron Hill Accrington 10k with her colleague Sharon Jackson, from Oswaldtwistle, in memory of her son Shaun who died from a brain tumour in 2013.

They raised money for East Lancashire Hospice where Shaun spent the last two weeks of his life

Elaine, 51, from the Ribble Valley, said it was ‘very poignant’ that the race fell on Mothers Day and was her first one without Shaun.

She said: “After he died, we saw the Ron Hill 10k advertised and it just felt right to do it.

“It was going to be a difficult day, but Sharon’s support made me able to complete it.

“It was very poignant that the race fell on Mothers Day, my first one without Shaun, but the atmosphere really helped to keep me going.

“The streets were lined with people cheering us on and many cars sounded their horns as they passed.

“It was always going to be a hard day but the support of the marshals and spectators really helped.”

Keen cyclist Shaun, who was just 33 when he passed away, was diagnosed with a tumour on Christmas Day in 2008 after suffering a bad seizure while out for a family meal.

After six weeks’ intense radiotherapy at Royal Preston Hospital he returned to work and managed to lead a normal life for around two years until it was discovered the tumour had grown.

Elaine, who lives in the Ribble Valley, said: “It was so hard to watch my 6ft 4ins son go from being such a fit, good looking man to being unable to do things like feed and wash himself.

“It was very tough. When I could no longer physically care for him we had no choice but to get him into the hospice.”

Sharon, 46, said she was happy to help.

She said: “It’s all I can do to help my friend. I also took part in a sponsored ‘Dry January’ and couldn’t have given up alcohol if it wasn’t for such a good cause.”

Hospice fundraiser Kimberley Hall said the money will help ‘make a difference’.

She said: “Although the thought of Mothers Day must have been very difficult for Elaine, with the support of her friend Sharon they were able to do something positive in memory of Shaun and have raised an incredible amount.”