Two sisters whose beloved uncle died in a plane crash while serving as an engineer with the Red Arrows are trying to raise money for charity in his memory.

Twelve-year-old Eryn and Brooke, eight, took on the Mini Mudder challenge in Fairgate in West Sussex - a one-mile course designed for children to work as a team - last Saturday.

The Hawley residents were raising money for the Royal Air Force charity after their uncle Jon Bayliss was killed while serving as an engineer with the Red Arrows.

The Hawk jet the 41-year-old corporal was flying in crashed on Anglesey in March.

He grew up in Hartley, attended Axton Chase School in Longfield and studied at West Kent College.

The pair tackled the course to pay tribute to him.

Eryn said: “Uncle Jon was special because he was funny, he could always make you smile on your worst day.

"I wanted to raise money for the fund because they helped our family and they help others like us.

“We had so much fun doing the race. It was quite hard, and we got covered in mud, but I made sure I helped Brooke along the way.

“Lots of people have sponsored us which is nice because we wanted to do something good in Uncle Jon’s memory.”

Sister Brooke said: “My favourite bit was the mud pit, we both got covered in mud, but my sister helped me when I had to climb up the ramp, which was really difficult.

“We painted our faces before the race and had a red arrows transfer on our faces for Uncle Jon.”

Parents Joanne and Karl - Jon’s stepbrother - are extremely proud of their daughters, saying their uncle had a huge impact on them.

Karl said: “It was so lovely to watch them complete the course together and really help each other out along the way.”

Regional fundraiser Heather Kemp said: “Eryn and Brooke are a real inspiration to all of us here at the RAF Benevolent Fund.”

You can sponsor the sisters at www.justgiving.com/erynandbrooke