A WIRRAL student has helped to raise hundreds of pounds in memory of Eastham teenager Sophie Jones, who died from cervical cancer earlier this year.

Eighteen-year-old Elyse Bennett inspired fellow students at St Mary’s Catholic College in Wallasey to create a showcase of drama, vocal and musical talent and filled the school’s theatre to raise more than £400 for Cancer Research.

The sixth former was deeply moved by the plight of 19-year-old Sophie, who lost her life in March.

The South Wirral High School student Sophie, was diagnosed with cervical cancer in November, after medical professionals told the aspiring model she was too young to have contracted it, putting her severe stomach pains down to Crohn’s disease.

It was only when she was admitted to hospital when her condition worsened, that doctors discovered Sophie’s cancer had already spread.

Elyse, from Upton, hosted the evening herself and ran it with the technical and publicity help of BTEC level three performance students.

Throughout the show she turned the spotlight on the need for extensive cervical cancer screening in the UK.

Elye, who has now left St Mary’s and is due to begin a drama course at Edge Hill University, paid a special visit to her old school to officially present a cheque to Stephanie Dagger from Cancer Research UK.

She said: “When I read about Sophie, I felt I just had to do something, and putting on a show seemed the natural thing for me and my group of friends.  We had a great time doing it, but we focused on how important it is to support cancer research.

“Sophie died needlessly because cancer screening could have saved her life, and we wanted to bring attention to that fact.”

St Mary’s head of drama, Miss Ciara McCallion, said: “We were very proud to support Elyse in what was an excellent evening of entertainment entirely organised and provided by some very talented students.”