FRIENDS of a student nurse who died on the first day of her hospital work placement have raised more than £8,000 in her memory in five days.

Dani Clegg, 23, Becci Wade, 21, and Kirsty Bennett, 20, are appealing for donations on crowdfunding platform GoFundMe in honour of their friend, Lucy Bethany Blackburn, who died suddenly last week.

The money will be used to buy a minibus to transport student nurses between their accommodation at the University of Chester's Warrington campus and hospital placements with some of the funds also going towards the cost of the popular student's funeral.

Lucy, a student rep, had previously campaigned for the minibus after other student nurses said they feared for their safety when using public transport early in the morning and in the evenings.

Dani said: “We are going to try and raise as much as possible. We set it up at 10pm on Thursday night and and it just keeps coming.”

Kirsty, who knew Lucy from working with her at Next, said: “I just think it’s amazing. I knew Lucy was loved but not like this.”

The 20-year-old was found collapsed in the toilets at Warrington Hospital by shocked work colleagues shortly before 6.45pm last Tuesday.

The former Burnley College student who had been studying in Warrington is believed to have suffered an epileptic seizure just hours before finishing her first shift on her second year placement.

The student nurse, who was passionate about nursing and loved working with the elderly and disabled, was described as like ‘a big sister’ to friends and colleagues.

Lucy’s mum Susan Thorley, 44, said: “Lucy would think it was amazing. I’ve got people texting me. Everybody who knew her and even people who didn’t know her sending messages. It’s just overwhelming.”

Visit gofundme.com/lucybblackburn.