POLICE officer Graham Mansell is taking a break from walking the beat to run the London Marathon in memory of his son.

The 31-year-old is getting ready to run in his first marathon on Sunday to raise money for the Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Society.

In 2010 Graham and his wife Carly lost their second son Toby on Mothers Day, just 35 and a half hours after he was born, weighing just 3lb 14.5oz.

Toby had been diagnosed with a diaphragmatic hernia, a birth defect in which there is an abnormal opening in the diaphragm that allows part of the organs from the stomach to go up into the chest cavity.

Since Toby’s death, Graham has wanted to do something in his memory and he took up running as a way with dealing with the stress of the situation.

Graham works at Gablecross Police station as part of the local crime team and says he’s had a lot of support from colleagues and friends since the death of his son.

He said: “In my perspective, losing Toby was the worst thing that could happen to anybody.

“It was a beautifully sunny day and it was also the day that our hearts were broken.

“Almost immediately after Toby’s death I knew I wanted to do something to raise money in his memory.

“Not just that, but I wanted to do something that I never would have done if it had not been for Toby, something to demonstrate the impact that he has had on my life.”

It was then that Graham, who hopes to raise £2,000 for the charity, started running, something that he had always disliked.

“I started running as a way of dealing with the stress and found it helpful and I was running more and more so that is why I have decided to run the London Marathon,” he said.

“Unfortunately, I was not blessed with the attributes to run well, so training has been difficult and, with family commitments, I have not been able to get out as much as I would have liked. If I finish then I will be happy.

“For me personally this is between me and Toby and I hope to complete something for him.

“At the end of the day the charity will benefit. I want to raise as much money as possible to help fund the work Sands do to support bereaved parents, as well as the research they undertake to reduce the loss of babies’ lives.”