A recently bereaved widow from Sidmouth served up full English breakfasts for huge crowds and raised hundreds of pounds for a cancer charity in memory of her late husband – and in thanks for the support the family received after his death.

Colin Craig, a paramedic and all-round fitness fanatic from Sidmouth, would have been 50 on April 22.

He died from appendiceal cancer in August 2010, leaving his four children and wife Lisa.

But the FORCE Cancer Charity from Exeter supported the family, arranged counselling and helped them rebuild their lives.

So, when Mrs Craig noticed that the charity was planning an event the day after what would have been her late husband’s 50th birthday, she decided she wanted to help.

“I realised that Colin would have been 50 and we would have had a party. But, in lieu of a party, we decided to do something for FORCE,” she told the Herald.

“Their event was on the Saturday and Colin’s birthday would have been the Sunday, so it seemed like the right time.

“They [FORCE] were incredible and made a huge difference to us and we wanted to do our bit to thank them.”

The charity had planned a Devon-wide fundraising event called the Great Devon Breakfast last Saturday ( April 21), so Mrs Craig laid on her own big breakfast in Sidmouth.

Held at the Lawn Vista Guide Hut on Saturday morning, Mrs Craig said the occasion had been “an amazing success” – with people queuing out of the door at one point.

“The atmosphere was brilliant and it was just the sort of thing Colin would have loved. Not a sad occasion at all.”

Enough bacon butties, full English breakfasts and cups of builders’ tea were sold, raising �750 for FORCE.

Mrs Craig, who was fragile due to having had an operation the day before, says the success of the breakfast was down to the “amazing army of waiters and waitresses” who helped her - and the popularity of her late husband.

Since Colin’s death, she has been involved in many charitable activities, including a fashion show and a sponsored walk to thank the various agencies which have helped the family. She recently manned a stall to raise funds for Balloons, an Exeter-based charity that provides bereavement counselling.