Right: Sue Small at the till at Tesco, Southampton Road, during her marathon 17-hour shift to raise money for the Foundation for the Study of Infant Death. Mrs Small raised £1,253 for the charity.A CASHIER rang up an impressive donation for a cot death charity when she took part in a sponsored 17-hour shift.

Sue Small doubled her usual hours at Tesco on Southampton Road last Thursday to raise £1,253 for the Foundation for the Study of Infant Death.

Her marathon shift coincided with National Cot Death Awareness Week, which aims to increase understanding about the tragic condition.

The campaign is very personal for Mrs Small, of Stanley Little Road, Salisbury, as her son, Darren, was a cot death victim in 1988, at just 11 weeks old.

Mrs Small said: "Slowly, people are learning more about it but still most of the publicity about cot death surrounds people who are sent to prison. There is not always so much advice about how to prevent it or research into understanding more about cot death, which is why this charity is very important."

Mrs Small said she was delighted with the generosity of colleagues and customers at Tesco, who helped her work through her gruelling stint on the tills.

"Luckily, it wasn't a really busy day but lots of people came to my till to see what I was doing," she said.

"Lots of them gave donations and I gave the extra money I earned for doing more hours, too.

"I was exhausted after working for 17 hours but I was really glad I did it.

"I had the next day off but didn't have long to rest, as I had to be back at work on Saturday."