A newlywed couple from Orpington raised £1,000 for charity by asking guests to donate cash instead of buying them wedding gifts.

Sue Pettet, 71, of Charterhouse Road, and Malcolm Stephenson, 73, of Clareville Road, have known each other since the early 1970s.

But it wasn’t until about four or five years after Sue got divorced that Malcolm and Sue’s relationship moved on from just being friends.

They decided to give the money to a Brain Tumour Research fundraising group.

Ms Pettet said: “We are continuing to live separately although we also have a house together in Hampshire, near my daughter Debbie, son-in-law John, grandchildren Elizabeth, 10, who was our bridesmaid, and James,12, who was our best man and ring-bearer.

"We enjoy being able to do our own thing, but also love rambling together and going up to London to visit places like museums and historic buildings. So with three houses between us we decided we definitely didn’t need any more toasters.

“Malcolm and I talked about choosing a charity to benefit and I thought of my good friend Wendy McMahon who I have known since we met through work around 30 years ago when we were both occupational therapists, Wendy at Bromley Hospital and me at Orpington, though eventually we were working together.

“Wendy lives in Mottingham and she lost her husband Glenn, 53, to a brain tumour in 2015. They had only been together a short while when, in September 2013, he was diagnosed. They married in February 2014, knowing their time together was going to be short – Glenn had been given a prognosis that he would survive just 12 to 18 months.

“I remember how shocked I was when Wendy told me that less than 20 per cent of those diagnosed with a brain tumour survive beyond five years compared with an average of 50 per cent across all cancers, yet just one per cent of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this devastating disease.

"Wendy set up the Glenn McMahon Foundation under the umbrella of game-changing national charity Brain Tumour Research to create Glenn’s legacy and help make a difference.

“I was so chuffed with all the wedding donations from our generous guests which raised more than £1,000 for the Glenn McMahon Foundation.

"And Wendy was such a star on the day – she sorted me out with ‘something blue’ – a beautiful necklace and bracelet to go with my lovely outfit, which she had also helped me find, as well as a fascinator for my hair.”

To donate to the Glenn McMahon Foundation go to www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Wendy-McMahon3

Head of community fundraising (south) for Brain Tumour Research, Carol Robertson, said: “We are extremely grateful to Sue and Malcolm. Wendy is an amazing ambassador for our charity. It’s vital that campaigners like Wendy, Sue and Malcolm help to shine the spotlight on this neglected cancer. We desperately need more awareness and research investment to find more effective treatments and ultimately a cure.”