Newmarket chooses local heroes to turn on Christmas lights

Two "local heroes" who have been recognised for carrying out "amazing work" for good causes have been selected to turn on their local town's Christmas lights.

Tamara, 13, and Ben Blowes will switch on the festive decorations in Newmarket, Suffolk, on Friday.

Tamara, from the town, campaigned to "show the NHS how proud we are" by displaying blue hearts in windows.

Mr Blowes, from Gazeley, ran 31 marathons in 31 days for charity.

Love Newmarket, the town's Business Improvement District (BID), said in previous years it had a celebrity help switch on the lights, but this year it "looked towards the community to find local heroes who have done amazing work during the last year".

It asked members of the public to vote through its Facebook campaign.

Tamara's campaign "took off" after her mother Caroline Hutchinson set up the Blue Hearts for NHS Facebook page that has more than 4,600 followers.

Miss Hutchinson said she was "so proud" of her daughter, who she said volunteers for St John's Ambulance and will wear her uniform for the switch-on.

Mr Blowes raised £225,000 for children's brain tumour charity Tom's Trust with his 812.2 mile (1,307km) feat.

He said he was "extremely honoured, grateful and humbled" to have been nominated and chosen for the 19:00 GMT switch-on.

Find BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email [email protected]