A mother of two with terminal cancer has raised £9,000 for charity with a little help from her friends.

Claire Senior, 39, held a Wedding Wishes Ball on Saturday, in which she invited her female guests to put on their old wedding dresses and ball gowns.

Around 140 guests attended the event which included a raffle, with prizes donated by local businesses, and an auction that raised around £5,000 – with items such as Harley Davidson branded clothes, signed Arsenal and Chelsea shirts and a signed England cricket bat.

Mrs Senior, who lives with husband David and children Danielle, 14, and Oscar, three, in Chapel Street, Alconbury, found out she had terminal adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) in April last year.

She said: “The ball was fantastic, it was really busy and there must have been about 30 people who turned up in their wedding dress.”

Claire’s friend Helen Brown, 39, who helped organise the ball, raised £1,000 earlier in the day with a sky dive in Peterborough.

All of the £9,000 raised will go to the Nick Slevin ACC Research Fund, which has played a big part in Claire’s treatment, and Marie Curie, which she says will play a crucial role in achieving her wish to die peacefully at home.