A man ran the London Marathon in memory of his older brother who died 21 years ago from a heart condition.

Jez Barnett, 52, of Bushey, ran in aid of the British Heart Foundation (BHF). Mr Barnett says without the work of BHF Professor Yacoub and his team, he would have lost his brother Michael at the age of just 23.

But at the age of 38, Michael Barnett died from problems relating to his leaky heart valve.

500 BHF champions took on the 26.2 mile race in the capital on Sunday, including Jez who helped raise £2,300 for the charity.

He completed the course in four hours and 40 minutes and was his second marathon.

After crossing the line, an emotional Jez said: “Taking part in the London Marathon was a huge challenge and an incredible experience. The atmosphere on the day was electric and I was proud to be a BHF Champion for such an iconic event. Knowing I was running for a wonderful charity made me determined to succeed.

“It was amazing to have everyone there cheering me on and to know that my sponsorship money will help the BHF raise vital funds for life saving research which will help make a difference to over seven million people in the UK living with heart and circulatory diseases.”

Karen McDonnell, events manager at the BHF, added: “It’s fantastic to see Jez’s courage and determination in helping us beat heartbreak forever. Without the dedication of our BHF Champions and the commitment of people like Jez, we wouldn’t be able to fund life-saving research that has broken new ground, revolutionised treatments and transformed the lives of millions of people in the UK.

“The stories of why our amazing supporters take part never fails to amaze me and it was incredible to see Jez and over 500 others take on such a gruelling challenge. By becoming a British Heart Foundation Champion, Jez is helping to fund research that has the potential to save and improve lives.”