The community came together to help raise money for a leukaemia charity event held in honour of a former pub landlady who recently died from the disease.

The event was held last week at the Old Maypole, Fencepiece Road, Hainault, in honour of Marilyn Claydon-Marr, who ran the pub for 23 years.

The pub hosts an annual event for charity and this year it was decided that it would be a tribute to Marilyn, who died in January after being diagnosed last year.

Her daughter, Lydia Eadon, 40, who has taken over the pub, said: “My mum was the best. She was known as the ‘gov’ or ‘ma’ to everyone because she was like everyone’s mum.

“The day proved this as the whole community came together and got involved”.

The day included face painters, sweet stalls, boot-sale stores, tarot readers, a raffle which contributed �1,000 to the funds and a car wash.

The pub raised �3,000 and Barclays Bank have said they will match the sum. All the money raised will go to the Leukaemia Care charity.