Leicester explosion: Sister running for shop blast victim

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Leah ReekImage source, LOROS
Image caption,

Leah Reek was 18 when she was killed with her boyfriend and members of his family following the blast

A woman is running 100km in a month in memory of her sister, who died when a shop was blown up in an insurance scam.

Leah Reek was 18 when she died alongside her boyfriend Shane Ragoobeer at his family home on Hinckley Road in Leicester in 2018.

Three men were jailed for life last year over the murders.

Molly Reek has been running in aid of Leicestershire hospice charity Loros, where Leah had been a volunteer, and is set to finish the challenge on Sunday.

Image source, Leicestershire Police
Image caption,

Leah was visiting the family home of boyfriend Shane Ragoobeer when they and three others died in the explosion

As well as Leah and her 18-year-old boyfriend, Shane's mother Mary Ragoobar and brother Sean were killed by the explosion, which happened in a shop underneath the Ragoobeer house.

Shop worker Viktorija Ijevleva - who was aware of the plot - also died in the blast, with the senior investigating officer saying she had "never dealt with a job that caused so much devastation".

Media caption,

Leah Reek's parents look back on the horror

Molly said she and the family have raised more than £42,000 for the hospice through challenges in memory of her sister, which has brought something positive from "such a horrendous situation".

"Leah was not just my sister, she was my best friend - she was the most amazing person," she said.

"She always used to say it's so important to make people's end-of-life journey [as] special as possible.

"She had such a mature outlook, and she was so passionate about the hospice that it just feels so right to raise money in her memory for this cause."

Image source, Family handout
Image caption,

Though not a natural running fan, Molly Reek said she has enjoyed carrying out the challenge in her sister's memory

Molly said she is looking forward to completing her latest fundraising effort, which has been met with "so much support in the community".

"Anyone who knows me knows I absolutely hate running, so it's definitely been a challenge," she said.

"I'll hopefully have a big glass of prosecco at the end."

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