DRESSED-UP dogs will enjoy a festive walk to raise money for young people fighting cancer in the name of a much-missed teenager.

Tom was just 18 when he was diagnosed with a soft tissue sarcoma in his peritoneum and pelvis, an extremely rare and aggressive cancer.

He instantly set out to help others in the same situation and raised more than £170,000 for charity to help put an end to the illness.

In April 2013, he decided he wanted to start his own charity to support teenage cancer patients.

Tom died aged 19 in October 2013 and left strict instructions for everyone to “crack on”.

In 2014, on Tom’s 20th birthday, parents Nikki and Richard set up the Tom Bowdidge Youth Cancer Foundation to continue the work he started.

The foundation’s first Santa Paws event will be held on December 4, arriving as Tom’s beloved dog Barney faces his own cancer fight.

Barney is being treated with the same chemotherapy drugs used to treat Tom.

Nikki Bowdidge, CEO and founder of The Tom Bowdidge Youth Cancer Foundation, said: “We already have amazing Santa runs in Colchester, but we really wanted to do something Christmasy to celebrate.

“We don’t seem to have anything with dogs, so we thought ‘why not’.

“We love our dogs, we love dressing them up and we think this is something that will just look spectacular.

“All dogs will be given their own dog bandana, but we don’t want to let that stop them going all out.”

She added: “Emma, Tom’s sister, will be bringing her beautiful dog Bruce on the day, and we are keeping our fingers crossed Barney will also be feeling up to it.

“But as he is currently suffering what his human dad went through we won’t be making a decision until closer to the time.

“He is responding well to chemotherapy, which is really positive.”

Santa Paws will be held at St Mary’s Lower School, London Road, Colchester, and will take in the nearby Bellhouse Woods, parts of which are usually closed to the public, with starts times from 10am to 1pm.

To view pricing options and to book tickets, go to www.tombowdidgefoundation.org.