The dad of a teenager who tragically died at a racetrack has thanked the community for their support after more than £4,000 was raised in less than two weeks. 

George Edwards, from Basildon, was involved in a devastating accident at a motocross event at a track in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, earlier this month. 

Despite the best efforts of paramedics and the Essex and Hertfordshire Air Ambulance, the 17-year-old tragically died at the scene. 

A fundraiser set up in memory of George, who was a member of Benfleet club Kickstart MX, passed £4,000 over the week. 

His dad, Russ, has confirmed the majority of the money will be donated to charities following the funeral on October 11 at Pitsea Crematorium.

A memorial bench is also set to be unveiled at the Mildenhall Track where George died as a lasting tribute. 

Missed - George Edwards Missed - George Edwards (Image: Russ Edwards)

Russ said: “Everyone is invited to George’s funeral and thank you to those who have supported the fundraiser, we want as many people as possible there, all of his friends and he had a lot of friends. We are interested in having everyone that knows George and who knew him well.

“We don’t have any other plans to mark it, I’ve not been to any other track events as I find it too emotional. It will definitely be a celebration of life, people might turn up on bikes, it won’t be mournful, it will be a celebration of his life.”

One of the charities the family have selected to donate money to is the Essex and Hertfordshire Air Ambulance. 

Russ added: “People should go to the fundraiser if they want to help, we will keep it open as long as it takes and publicise where the money is going to post-funeral, we haven’t made our mind up just yet.”

Russell Willmott, a manager of Kickstart MX in south Benfleet where George frequently raced, has spoken about how the tragedy has hit members hard. 

He said: “We did a week’s closure, we can’t change the tragedy and last weekend people were just so shocked.

“Something will be done but now, this is quite raw for us here, we are re-opening now, and I was going to start having chats about what we can do.

“The community has come together and that is amazing though.”

Visit gofundme.com/f/in-memory-of-our-george