A charity fundraising event organised in Ellesmere Port in memory of the 96 Liverpool fans who died at Hillsborough on April 15, 1989 raised an astonishing £15,000.

The event was organised by the three local families who lost a loved one on that day, the Delaney family, the Edwards family and the Hennessy family.

Called ‘25 Years On, Ellesmere Port Remembers the 96’ the day long event took place four days after the anniversary at the Whitby Sports and Social Club.

It commemorated the football fans who died at Hillsborough, including the three young men from Ellesmere Port, James Delaney, 19, James Hennessy, 29 and Christopher Edwards, 29.

The community event was intended to raise money for three local charities as well as the Hillsborough Family Support Group.

Daytime family fun events ran from noon with entry just £1 while the night event included entertainment from Koo Ka Choo 70s group, a disco, raffle and a charity sports auction.

Tickets for the evening were £10.

For the families, Mr Mark Gooding said:“The event was an absolute success, a brilliant day and night and we managed to raise £15,000 to be equally shared between four charities the three families chose.

“These were The Hillsborough Family Support Group, the Hospice of The Good Shepherd, the Cottage Hospital and Ronald McDonald House, Alder Hey each receiving £3750.

“We would link to thank all the people who helped and donated to the event to make it such a great success.

“First of all I would like to thank the committee whom without we would not have been able to organise the event.

“Secondly Albie Woods and the children of West Cheshire College and the great group Koo Ka Choo.

“ Thirdly the people who turned up on the night and spent a lot of money on raffle tickets and auction prizes.

“Fourthly the local businesses who donated raffle prizes and other items.

“And last but not least the local public houses for allowing us to raise money in their establishments - Maddisons Sports Bar, The Bull, The Cheshire Cat, The Cheshire Yeoman, The Gunners, The Halfway house, The Horse & Jockey, The Rake Hall, The Seahorse, The Sir Robert, The Travellers Rest, The Wheatsheaf, Wetherspoons, and The White Swan.”

The charities were presented with their cheques at an event at the Whitby Sports and Social Club.

“The three families really want to say a big thank you to all who helped,” he added.

Backing the event were Whitby Sports and Social Club ‘without them this would have not happened’, Airbus UK, Unite the Union, Addhire, Asda, Barclays Bank, Blue Planet Aquarium, Caramel Newsagents, Cash Generators, Cheshire Carpets, Cruze Clothing, Debonair, Drury's Butchers, Doubletree by Hilton Hotel Chester, Ellesmere Port Service Centre, EPNAVCO, Howard Basford, Kitch & Cync, Labour councillors, Le Creuset, M53 Ford, Max Spielman, Mersey signs, Morrisons, O2 Phone Shop, Pro Cook, Silly Billys, Simply The Best Florist, Specsavers Opticians, Steves Tattoos, Style Council Hairdressers, Sutton Way Tesco,Ten Pin Bowling, the Big Apple Fruit & Veg, The Entertainer, Tommy Tuckers, Vauxhall Motors Charity Committee, Whitby Sports & Social Club Poker Section and Wilkinsons.