A charity football match between colleagues of a policewoman who lost her battle with cancer hours after she married has raised nearly £2,750.

Officers from Croydon and Merton police played the friendly at Imber Court, the Metropolitan Police's sports club on Sunday, in memory of Sergeant Juliet Sowter, who died on February 21, last year.

The popular policewoman, 42, joined the Metropolitan Police aged 32, after becoming bored with her nine to five job in accounts and because she wanted to make a difference.

She worked for several years in Croydon Town Centre and subsequently transferred to Merton.

Officers from both borough's battled it out in Sunday's match and, after beating their colleagues six two, team Merton were crowned the first winners of the Sgt Juliet Sowter Memorial Charity Plate.

Sgt Sowter was diagnosed with cancer in autumn 2010 after discovering a lump in her groin. She had an operation to have lymph nodes removed but in January 2011 the cancer was found to have spread and she was told it was incurable.

After being told the cancer was incurable, her boyfriend John proposed and their wedding was brought forward. The couple were married on the Howard Ward at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton. She died hours after the ceremony.

Her sister Kathryn said of the fundraiser: "As a family we were incredibly moved, not only by the fact the Met organised this event in Juliet's memory, but that it was so well attended by colleagues, family and friends.

"Some people had travelled from as far as southern Spain to attend. We were very touched people made the effort to support the event on such a cold Sunday."

It is hoped the match will become an annual event. Money raised from it will be donated to cancer charities Macmillan and Cancer Research, which were chosen by Sgt Sowter, before she died.

Her best friend Joanne Thornton will also be running the Brighton Marathon in Juliet's memory.

She said: "After seeing the most amazing work the nurses and oncologists did for Ju I decided to start doing something to raise money to help other sufferers."

To sponsor Joanne visit justgiving.com/joannethornton