THE sister of tragic schoolgirl Stephanie Hammacott led a Ten

Tors team at the weekend in her memory.

Terri-Ann Hammacott, aged 15, took part in the 45-mile

challenge alongside five other Sir John Hunt Community Sports

College students.

Each member of the team wore white T-shirts with a picture of

Stephanie in the centre of a pink heart.

Wording on their T-shirts simply read: “In Memory of

Steph”.

Unfortunately, the team was forced to pull out of the annual

event yesterday afternoon, having completed seven of the 10

tors.

But there were still emotional scenes when Terri-Ann was

reunited with her parents and her younger sister.

Team manager, Dave Biggins – a teacher at the community sports

college, said: “Each member decided to take part in the event

long before Stephanie died.

“It gave them more of an impetus to take part when it did

happen. Everyone’s very proud of their efforts.”

The team gained sponsorship for Derriford Hospital’s Jeremiah’s

Journey charity, which raises money for bereaved children.

A spokesman for the Army, which organises the event at

Okehampton, said: “The team dropped out on the seventh tor due

to tiredness.

“They had very tired feet and were fairly emotional with what

they had been through.

“It is a tough challenge, and it has been very warm up here

over the weekend.”

Nine-year-old Stephanie Hammacott was killed in a freak gas

explosion in Bulteel Gardens, Southway in January.

A joint investigation into the explosion has concluded that gas

seeping upwards from a fractured main caused the blast.

The full report will be passed to the Crown Prosecution Service

to determine whether there were any criminal or health and

safety offences leading up to the explosion, and, if there

were, whether there should be a prosecution as a result.

If it is considered no offences were committed, the report will

be passed to the coroner, in preparation for Stephanie's

inquest.

The team joined thousands of other youngsters who took part in

a challenge of a lifetime beneath the burnishing springtime

sun.

In some of warmest weather conditions seen for years, the

annual trek across the bleak but awe-inspiring landscape of

Dartmoor was completed over the weekend, with no reports of

serious injuries.

The beaming smiles of proud parents as they hugged their weary

sons and daughters matched the warm rays of the sun, which

according to the organisers made this year’s event “one of the

best ever”.

The success was in stark contrast to 12 months ago, when the

challenge had to be abandoned and students evacuated from the

moor due to torrential rain.

The army-led walk was open to young people aged between 14 and

19. Starting off on Saturday morning they completed walks of

35, 45 and 55 miles depending on their age.

The event, which starts and ends at the army training camp on

the moors above the market town of Okehampton, saw 400 teams

and 2,400 participants cover a number of set routes in a test

of physical and mental strength.

The teams of teenagers, sang, chatted and pushed each other

forward to complete the march.

Lieutenant Colonel (Retd) Tony Clark, Commandant of the

Dartmoor Ranges described the event as being “one of the best

ever” and praised the efforts of the Armed Forces tasked with

organising it.

He said: “The atmosphere has been brilliant throughout. We saw

a lot of tired and blistered feet walk over the finishing line

but everyone has been delighted with the challenge.”

Teams from Plymouth and surrounding areas included Plymouth Air

Training Corps, Ivybridge Community College and Torpoint

Community College.