SCHOOLFRIENDS found a wonderful way of remembering the bravery of five-year-old Sophie Wood.

They ditched school uniforms and instead wore clothes that were as brightly colours as possible.

The result was a brilliantly coloured day at Briercliffe Primary School yesterday, with sponsorship profits running well into four figures for Leukaemia Research.

Sophie, of Briercliffe, knew she had leukaemia when she started at Briercliffe School 18 months ago.

Sadly, a bone marrow transplant was unsuccessful, and for Sophie, of Fennyfoot Farm, Walverden Road, Briercliffe, the options had run out.

Nevertheless, she joined in all the Christmas Parties and went on the school trip to a panto at Bradford, turning down an offer of a comfortable car ride home from the show and travelling instead on the bus with all her school pals. Two days later Sophie died.

Headmaster John Whitham said: "She was on a chemotherapy drip every night after school.

"She was a very brave girl.

"My one abiding memory is the smile she always had on her face.

"She was always in bright clothes and the children thought that one of the best ways of remembering her was to have a non-uniform day with everyone wearing as many colours as they could possible get into," he added.

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