FORCES' sweetheart Dame Vera Lynn came to Tidworth on Monday to give her good wishes to two runners taking part in the London Marathon for one of her favourite charities, SOS - Stars Organisation Supporting Cerebral Palsy.

She said: "We certainly need as much money as we can get to keep our school open because it costs £200,000 a year to run it."

Dame Vera (85), the evergreen singer who entertained troops around the world during the Second World War, formed the charity 50 years ago, and she took great pleasure in meeting Polly Gedney and Cpl Andy Gardner, who are each hoping to raise more than £1,000 for the charity.

Polly (31), wife of Maj Felix Gedney, a squadron leader with the King's Royal Hussars, and 30-year-old Cpl Gardner, of D Squadron, began training last August and are well on course to complete the popular event for the first time.