A fund-raising appeal for the families of the victims of the Cley helicopter tragedy has raised more than $10,000 in less than a day.

Eastern Daily Press: An appeal for the families of the Cley crash victimsAn appeal for the families of the Cley crash victims (Image: Archant)

Launched at 7pm UK time, the appeal on the Go Fund Me website has already more than doubled its target of $4,000.

Started by Caitlin Marilie Malone, the money will be split evenly between the families of the victims, according to a description on the site.

At least two individual donations of $500 have been made to the appeal, which has been shared 2,600 times on Facebook already.

To go to the site, click here

Further appeals have been started by groups local to Lakenheath on Facebook.

These include a cake sale by Holy Doering, who runs I Dream in Cake, and a raffle for a picture by Be Free Photography - here

Mrs Doering, 31, who lives in Red Lodge and whose husband, Dave, is an F-15 crew chief, said she had been touched by the tragedy as it was so close to home.

'My husband has been to Afghanistan and if he were to fall into trouble, those guys would have been the ones to go in and rescue him.

'But when they are just on a normal day at work, you don't expect this kind of thing to happen but everyday you are never promised,' she said.

Mrs Doering has already raised $600 dollars in donations, with orders for 3,000 cupcakes made.

The cakes will be green, the colours of the 56th Rescue Squadron, and black, for remembrance.

She added that she has only spent $114 on supplies for the huge bake, with flour, sugar and eggs donated from across the base.

Any extra cakes will be sold on Saturday at the base's Eagle Complex.

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