A NIGHT of music for BBC Wiltshire presenter Sandy Martin raised £1,500 for a fund set up in his memory.

A who’s who of Swindon DJs jumped behind the decks to remember their pal at the King’s Arms in Old Town.

The event was well-attended, with many revellers recognising his face on a poster before heading inside.

Sandy died last March aged 53 after being diagnosed with a brain tumour five months previously.

Tony McClusky, who used to spin discs with Sandy at the former Brunel Rooms, said: “It was a really good night, we raised £1,000 more than the fundraiser we held last year.

“The response was absolutely brilliant. People were seeing posters outside with his picture on at 2am and paying to come in.

“We will present the money to his fund this week.”

Sandy’s friends have held a themed night at the end of every month since his death and another fundraiser is in the pipeline.

The night remembered the dad-of-three with the best in jazz, funk and soul from the 70s and 80s.

Tony said: “We played the music Sandy would have wanted and each DJ did a little spot. The music didn’t put anyone off at all. The night went off very, very well.”

Tony added that he wished to thank Swindon PA Hire and the King’s Arms for supporting the event.

Sandy was well-known to tens of thousands of people across the county.

He began his radio career with a weekly Disco Trekkin’ programme on commercial station GWR while still a successful nightclub DJ at Swindon’s Brunel Rooms, before moving to the BBC, based in Old Town.

Sandy hosted a wide range of shows, including the World Tour of Wiltshire and a series of fundraising concerts featuring artists such as Jamie Cullum and Justin Hayward.

He also had a spell as BBC Wiltshire’s Man with a Van, when he went out on the streets gathering powerful, emotional interviews with ordinary people which were broadcast as “your stories from your place”.

The DJ was also one of the main organisers of BBC Wiltshire’s carol concert at Salisbury Cathedral in December 2009 and 2010 and the city centre Christmas lights switch-on in Salisbury.

His fund is a registered charity with details of the good causes to be confirmed.