Aldershot runner deaths: Fellow athletes donate award

An award for young athletes will be made posthumously to two runners who were struck by a car.

The eight nominees for British under-18 athlete of the year have asked for the award to be given to Lucy Pygott, 17, and Stacey Burrows, 16, as a tribute.

The pair were struck by the vehicle while on a training run in Aldershot, Hampshire, on 8 November.

A soldier has been bailed until February on suspicion of drink-driving and other offences.

On Tuesday, hundreds of people attended a torch-lit vigil in memory of Lucy, from Hartley Wintney, and Stacey, from Farnborough.

Both girls were members of Aldershot, Farnham and District Athletic Club.

Lucy won a 3,000m bronze medal at the European Youth Championships in July, while Stacey was the Hampshire under-17 3,000m champion.

European medallist Sabrina Singh, 17, contacted the under-18 award organiser, Athletics Weekly, requesting that the prize be given to the pair.

Sabrina said she and the other seven nominees had become close to Lucy at the European Championships in Tblisi.

She said: "We wanted to show support for the girls and their families. They were really talented and lovely girls."

The 24-year-old soldier is on bail on suspicion of drink-driving, two counts of causing death by dangerous driving and two counts of careless driving while unfit through drink or drugs.