The tireless work of two fundraisers motivated by the search for missing serviceman Corrie McKeague has helped raise more than £3,000 for the Suffolk Lowland Search and Rescue team.

Jo Leach and Zak Twinn presented a cheque to Suffolk Lowland Search and Rescue (SULSAR) for £3,112.82, accompanied by Corrie’s mother Nicola Urquhart.

The duo posted wristbands around the world with #FindCorrie written on them to help fundraise for SULSAR and raise awareness of the search to find the missing RAF Honington gunner, who has not been seen since a night out in Bury St Edmunds last September.

Zak helped with the first public search for Corrie and afterwards ordered three wristbands for himself, Nicola and Corrie’s brother Darroch.

“I thought this could be something,” said Zak. “Wristbands used to be really strong, you had the Help for Heroes ones and I thought any way to raise awareness could be something good. I never thought it would be as big as this. I think it gives people who are following it closely like myself and everyone else that something to make people feel more involved.”

Initially Zak, who lives in Cambridge but often works in Bury, ordered a few and was selling them via Facebook messenger for £2 including postage.

However, this was not sustainable and Jo Leach, who was also involved in the search and who runs an Avon business in Barrow, used a section of her website to sell the bands.

“I don’t think anyone thought it would go as big as it has and it’s shocked us all,” Zak added. “Without Jo’s help I don’t think I would have got past the first 500.”

The cheque presentation to SULSAR is hoped to put to rest “spiteful” comments from online trolls, who tried to make out the pair were selling the bands for their own gain.

Nicola said: “Hopefully people can see Zak and Jo’s honesty, integrity and absolute decency is beyond reproach.

“What they’ve done and the time and effort they’ve put in to try to help someone they don’t know and have never met just shows genuine humanity and kindness and hopefully that’s what people can see in their actions.”

The presentation took place at the Bull Inn, in Barton Mills.