Ferndown's firefighters are re-doubling their efforts to raise money for a memorial fund for four young children after a brave mother lost her battle with cancer on Monday night.

Serena Hawkes, 30, from Tricketts Cross, passed away in the Royal Bournemouth Hospital after fighting the disease for 18 months.

Serena's mother, Gill Flower, paid tribute to her brave daughter, remembering the mother of four as a fighter. "She fought right to the very end," said Mrs Flower.

And Mrs Flower said the loss of her daughter was indescribable. "She was always thinking of others. Words cannot describe how we're feeling," she said.

Husband, Nick, and the couple's four children are left grieving for the loss of a special wife and mother.

Now fire crews at Ferndown fire station will increase their fund-raising efforts to fulfil the dying wish of the departed mum.

They began raising money for the fund in September, when they were made aware of Serena's plight by her father, Kevin Gilbert - a retained fireman at the Ferndown station.

Earlier this month, crew members donated money raised for their benevolent fund at their annual car wash fund-raiser to Serena's trust fund.

The car wash was followed by a charity football match between Ferndown's fire crews and the county's police officers. More than 70 prizes were donated by local businesses to a fund-raising prize draw held after the game at the White Heather pub at which over £2,000 was raised.

Richard Cowley, a fire officer at the Ferndown station, has vowed to continue the crews' fund-raising drive. "We won't be insensitive or intrude. All we want to do is to continue to help the family. Serena was comfortable with the fund-raising," he said.

Mr Cowley said local businesses had been got on board with the campaign.

"The response has been phenomenal. We're well past £2,000 and hope to raise as much as £4,000," he said.

Donations can be made at the Ferndown branch of Barclays Bank. The sort code is 20 96 96. The account number is 80849421.