A woman fought for the return of her fitness after time in intensive care to run the London Marathon.

Fran Cooper, of St Albans, gave birth to her second child in December 2015, but become ill with acute colitis soon after, forcing her to spend eight days in intensive care.

Ms Cooper, who had deferred her place in the marathon to 2017, joined Westminster Lodge in order to meet with her new trainer, Joanna, and regain her fitness to tackle the challenge.

She said: ““Joanna was amazing and made sure that I ran the race in my comfort zone.

“The atmosphere and crowds were amazing and running for such a personal cause carried me across the finish line - now I plan on continuing to train with Joanna and improve my finishing times.”

Ms Cooper’s trainer focused with on strengthening her core muscles and building strength for 18 months after her illness weakened her body significantly.

Ms Cooper crossed the finish line in 4.38 and she is raising funds for East & North Hertfordshire NHS Trust Charitable Fund, with the money divided between Intensive Care and the Gastroenterology team.