BUILDING contractors have raised £1,830 to support mental health charity Mind in memory of Salisbury firefighter Miles Abel.

Geoff Hall, of Hill Group, has been gathering support for the charity and helped raise the money alongside Renelec Ground Works, Renelec Plumbers, Nu-Span Flooring, Taylor-Lane, Titan Dry Lining, Austin Brickwork and J.L O'Rourke.

Miles who worked as a firefighter at a station at dstl Porton Down and had suffered with anxiety took his own life in January of this year.

After his death a fundraising campaign was started by his family and friends to help raise funds to help others.

Geoff said he was inspired to help raise money after hearing about the death of Miles and seeing what his family and friends have been doing to raise money for the charity.

"Being a friend of Miles, who was stepfather to my niece and nephew, and the family I felt that the very least I could do is make a few phone calls to the directors of our on site contractor and Hill Group to make them aware of what I consider to be an illness that goes unnoticed by many of us, including me.

"As you can see by the amount of money that was raised in only a couple of weeks all of them were most generous.

"At 54 I felt it was easier to pick up the phone instead of trying to do any type of exercise. I do hope that this money will help others who are suffering as Miles did."