Three 12-year-old cellists whose friend is suffering with leukaemia have rallied round by braving the winter cold and busking to raise cash for research into the disease.

Owen Burbidge, Jessica Stanton and Celia Coules met as pupils at Wantage CofE Primary School, where they learned to play the cello.

They all stayed in touch after moving to different secondary schools and still meet at weekends to practise together in Wantage.

When they heard their friend, who has asked not to be named, was ill with leukaemia, they wanted to do something to help.

They busked outside WH Smith's in Market Square, Wantage, raising £174 from passers by in just an hour and a half.

Owen's proud mother, Kathy Burbidge, who helped organise the session, said: "I thought it was absolutely brilliant that they wanted to do this.

"The only thing that beat them was frozen fingers after an hour and a half."

She thanked those who had donated money to the buskers.

The money raised will be handed over to the Leukaemia Research Fund, which has an Oxford and district branch.