IN 2015 Gavin Burton was told three words that no one wants to hear: ‘You have cancer’.

The now father-of-three, from Otley, was given the news weeks before Christmas when his wife was heavily pregnant with their second child.

He had been diagnosed with a very aggressive stage 3-4 tumour in his bowel which at first looked inoperable.

Successful surgery, however, followed by a long programme of painful chemotherapy eventually led to Gavin being told he was in remission.

Now, three years on, he is preparing to run in the 2019 London Marathon for a charity close to his heart - Children with Cancer UK.

The 43 year old is hoping to raise £1,500 ‌in sponsorship for the organisation and is already well on the way thanks to what he described as the fantastic support of Otley firms and residents.

He said: “I basically nearly died so to be now preparing for the London Marathon is quite hard to believe.

“My chemotherapy ended at Christmas, 2016 and I took up running last June as part of trying to get myself back to a reasonable level of health.

“I joined Otley Athletic Club who gave me a lot of help and I’ve done a few races, but only up to half-marathon level.

“The training for London is going to be tough but I’ll be taking on lots of longer runs over the next few months as I prepare.”

Gavin’s current fundraising total - he can be sponsored at https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/GavinBurton1 - stands at £1,108, with even more pledged.

Writing on his donation page, he says: “Having experienced what I have as an adult and the impact it has had on us as a family, I couldn’t even begin to imagine children going through such horrendous treatment, pain and the impact it must have on their families.

“I am now in remission and running has been one of the biggest factors in my recovery.

“At the time i was going through it I vowed that if I was fortunate enough to survive I would make it count and attempt to make a difference. This is my opportunity.”

Referring to the local backing he’s received, he added: “The support I’ve had from Otley as a community has been absolutely fantastic.

“About 13 local companies are currently sponsoring me to have their logo on my running shirt, and lots of others have donated prizes for a raffle we’ll be holding at the end of the year.”

Gavin’s next fundraising event will be a bake sale at Otley Buttercross from 9am to 1pm on Sunday, November 25. He is also selling raffle tickets at two pubs in town, The Black Bull and Whitakers, and Just Books.

The draw will be held at the Black Bull at noon on Saturday, December 29. For more details search for Gavin’s Marathon Christmas Raffle And Other Fundraising Events on Facebook.