Son of murdered soldier Lee Rigby raises over £40k for forces charity

Jack Rigby was only two years old when his father was murdered outside Woolwich Barracks

The son of murdered soldier Lee Rigby has raised more than £40,000 to help other bereaved forces children and "in honour" of his father.

Jack Rigby, 12, was two years old when his father was murdered by Islamist extremists outside Woolwich Barracks.

Jack, who now lives in Halifax, West Yorkshire, is raising money for the Scotty's Little Soldiers charity.

He has run a total of 26.2 miles this month to mark the 10th anniversary of his father's death on 22 May 2013.

Jack has already beaten his £10,000 target for running in the Scotty's May Marathon, which he said aimed "to raise £1,000 for every year my dad has been gone".

The 12-year-old was supported by the tri-service Scotty's Little Soldiers charity, which helps children and young people aged up to 25 who are grieving the death of a parent who served in the British armed forces.

The 12-year-old has raised more than £40,000 for the Scotty's Little Soldiers tri-service charity

Fusilier Rigby, from Middleton, Greater Manchester, died as a result of multiple cut and stab wounds following the attack in London in 2013.

He was returning to his barracks in south-east London when he was attacked by Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale.

The men - who were Muslim converts - drove at him in a car before continuing to attack him.

Adebolajo was given a whole-life term and Adebowale was jailed for a minimum of 45 years.

In a video thanking those who had donated to the fundraiser, Jack's mother, Rebecca, 40, said: "The amount that's been raised so far is absolutely phenomenal.

"I am immensely proud of Jack for everything he is doing to raise funds and awareness for Scotty's - and to do something positive in Lee's name.

"May's not an easy time for us and doing this is really helping Jack to get through this difficult period, so thank you."

Fusilier Lee Rigby was murdered by Islamist extremists on 22 May 2013

Writing on his fundraising page, Jack said: "My dad Fusilier Lee Rigby was murdered on May 22nd 2013 when I was only two and a half years old.

"This year marks the 10-year anniversary. It's never easy, but this year feels even harder for some reason.

"My mom registered me with Scotty's in 2013 and I have been a proud member ever since."

He added that he now wanted to be able to "give something back".

"With your help donating, we can help Scotty's to continue supporting hundreds of bereaved military children just like me," he added.