Around 400 people attended a charity football match in memory of a popular schoolboy who died tragically young.

Joe Markiewicz from Maidstone was only 16 when he was suddenly taken from his family by a brain haemorrhage in September 2019.

His mum Stephanie Markiewicz said there had been no warning.

She said: "He was fine. He came home from school as normal, had his dinner and then suddenly at 6.20pm he collapsed in my arms and never regained consciousness."

The match on Friday was held at the Gallagher Stadium between Barming Under-18s and the Aylesford School Sixth Form team.

Joe had been a pupil at Barming Primary and then at Aylesford School.

Joe had also been a firm football fan and an ardent supporter of Maidstone United.

The event was used to raise money for the Kent Surrey and Sussex Air Ambulance Trust, which had tried to save Joe’s life by air-lifting him to a specialist unit at Kings College Hospital.

Friday’s match raised close to £4,000 on the day and there is an opportunity still to donate via a JustGiving page here.

The match ended 4-3 to Barming.