HOCKEY teams have played a series of matches to mark the 25th anniversary of the death of a Laindon girl who was killed in an IRA bomb attack.

Danielle Carter, 15, was killed in an explosion at the Baltic Exchange in London on April 10, 1992.

Her brother, Robert, 37, of Pitsea, decided to bring back the Danielle Carter Memorial Tournament for the first time in three years to mark the occasion.

The event took place at the weekend at Eversley Sports Centre and eight teams took part.

Mr Carter said: “It was absolutely amazing. It was like going back 20 years.

“It was out of this world.

“Danielle was definitely up there watching us and enjoying it.”

Robert, Danielle and their other brother Nicky all played hockey and their parents were coaches, so it was a family sport.

Two players travelled from Spain to take part in the tournament.

Mr Carter added: “To have eight teams was really good as we asked for players over 35 so it was a veterans’ tournament.

“To have people that age come back to play is almost unheard of.

“My team Basildon Allstars were in the final with Basildon Titans and they were our rivals back in the day. Most of the players in the final knew Danielle - it was meant to be.

He said they had organised the event in just six months.

Mr Carter added that the event was such a success with 400 people attending that he intends to make it an annual event.

The event raised £2,000 for two charities, the Red Cross to help other victims of bombings, including those which have happened recently, and St Luke’s Hospice.

As well as the hockey tournaments, there was also a Canadian mountain grill, music, beer tents and a bouncy castle.

Two other people, Paul Butt and Tom Casey were also killed and all three are remembered in a plaque near the Gherkin, in central London.