A CHARITY night in memory of a Great Harwood woman who died in June raised more than £2,500 in just four hours.

Wellwishers crowded into the town's cricket club in a moving tribute to Susan Eddleston, 52, who had suffered from tinnitus.

She was found by her husband and rushed to hospital by ambulance but her condition deteriorated and she died the following morning. She is believed to have died of a drug overdose and an inquest has been opened into the death.

The rock night, organised by her husband Peter, featured a host of local musicians including Tommy Franks and Wammy, raised the bumper sum of £2,611 for the British Tinnitus Association's campaign A Pill 4 Tinnitus.

As well as appearing with his own band Ragged Albert, bass guitarist Peter released a CD, 'A Song for Susan', which proved to be a sell-out.

Overwhelmed by the support given by family, friends and townspeople, he said: "It was beyond my wildest dreams. People donated dozens and dozens of prizes and sent in donations for tinnitus research because they know how badly Susan suffered.

"I just cannot thank them enough and hopefully this will go towards easing the pain of other sufferers in the future."

Peter, who runs Eddleston's bakers in Great Harwood with his brother Philip, added: "When Susan was ill we tried every sort of treatment available but the condition is incurable and something needs to be done to help sufferers.

"For every £1,00,000 this national campaign raises it will be match-funded with £500,000 from the Government."

"I have a low understanding of tinnitus myself and only know that it is personal -- some people suffer greatly with the screaming in their heads while others manage to cope.

"We don't know exactly how she died. The cause of death was a heart attack but we still don't know what brought that on."

On the night there was a 100-prize tombola with bottles of spirits and champagne, toiletries, flower decorations and clocks up for grabs and a bumper raffle with prizes ranging from a £100 sports goods voucher to duvet and pillow sets, all donated by wellwishers.

Peter, who lives with his son Alex, 26, in Lowerfold Road, Great Harwood, intends to arrange an official cheque presentation to an official of the British Tinnitus Association and hopes to raise even more money for research from another raffle soon.