A brave teenager who overcame cancer has organised a Race for Life event at his school to remember two pupils who lost their battle with the disease.

Students at the Norton Knatchbull School in Ashford will take part in the charity run today following the tragic deaths of Year 8 pupil Josh Wilkinson and sixth-former Sam Fournillier.

Year 8 pupil Freddie Newing, 13, who was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia in 2015, has organised the event along with assistant head teacher Richard Hoyte.

Freddie said: "Mr Hoyte and I have organised a Race for Life event to remember two boys who lost their battle with cancer.

"I didn't really know Sam because he was in sixth-form but I saw him in the art rooms a couple of times doing work.

"Josh was my age and we gave him gifts when he was in hospital and came into school.

"It's not going to be a normal Race for Life event where you are just running around a track - there are going to be lots of obstacles in the way.

"Hopefully we are going to raise lots of money for the event to give to Cancer Research."

Josh died in September last year after a long battle with Ewings Sarcoma, which is a rare form of bone cancer.

Sam was in Year 13 and died relatively suddenly in January after battling an aggressive form of leukaemia.

Freddie was diagnosed with cancer when he was a Year 6 pupil at St Mary's Primary School. He spent eight months in the Royal Marsden Hospital receiving treatment.

He added: "I had to have lots of harsh treatments for about two years and a bone marrow transplant.

"Then when I came out of hospital I had to recover and do lots of sport to get me back to where I am and I had to have tutoring to get my education back to where it was.

"My primary school did a Race for Life for me."

Obstacles in the Race for Life event will include cargo netting, hay bales, an 80ft assault course and sixth formers and fire men shooting water at the participants.

The army is also set to attend and provide a warm-up.

The school-only event is taking place on Monday afternoon, with families and friends of students invited to join after school.

So far, £575 has been raised online. To donate click here.