A POLICE officer is holding a charity auction to help fund free heart tests for a rare condition likened to an adult cot death.Robi Fox, who is among Suffolk Constabulary's police helicopter crew, lost his 13-year-old daughter Laura in 1999 just days after she returned from a family holiday.

A POLICE officer is holding a charity auction to help fund free heart tests for a rare condition likened to an adult cot death.

Robi Fox, who is among Suffolk Constabulary's police helicopter crew, lost his 13-year-old daughter Laura in 1999 just days after she returned from a family holiday.

Her parents believe the Farlingaye High School pupil was the victim of a rare condition called cardiac arrhthymia - a type of adult cot death.

Mr Fox and his wife Kate are now county reps for a charity called Cardiac Risk in the Young and have raised money to buy an ECG machine for a doctors surgery, as well as funding a special screening weekend for teenagers.

The couple have now organised an auction to be held at Suffolk police's force headquarters in Martlesham to raise money for further screening events to be held.

"This will give families who feel their children are at risk the opportunity to have an ECG test. We are hoping to run another weekend by the end of the year," he said.

"If a teenager has chest pains and goes to the doctor, the last thing that's thought of is cardiac problems. If you're 70, then straight away they'll be looking at that.

"I am a dad who has lost his daughter. It's raising awareness, we didn't know this could happen or how frequently is happened. We would like the opportunity to stop it happening and provide families with that opportunity."

The auction, which will include a buffet, will be held on July 17 and will feature about 85 prizes, including a tour of the Aston Martin factory at Gaydon.

A similar event held two years ago raised between £8-9,000.

Anyone wanting to purchase tickets for the auction evening can contact Mr Fox on 07733 160062 or email kateandrobi@tiscali.co.uk.