A TRIBUTE singer from Grays has raised more than £3,000 for the hospice that cared for his wife.

Bernie and Carol Hibbert were childhood sweethearts, meeting in a Sixties coffee bar and marrying when they were just 19.

Despite having their own interests, they were devoted to each other and their two sons and four grandchildren.

However, Carol was sadly diagnosed with oesophageal cancer in December and died in April.

She was cared for at St Luke’s Hospice, in Basildon, towards the end of her life and the couple celebrated their 49th wedding anniversary in the hospice.

Mr Hibbert has performed as a Neil Diamond tribute act for many years and decided to hold a special night of music to raise money for the hospice to thank them for caring for his wife.

Mr Hibbert said: “It was a very good night.

“It raised about £3,200 from donations.

“I wasn’t expecting that much at all.

“I don’t know how many people attended, but it was a packed house with a really good turnout.”

His ten-year-old granddaughter Abbie Hibbert, who has performed in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang alongside Martin Kemp and has now completed 16 performances in the Wind in the Willows, with the Australian Shakespeare Company at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, also performed.

Bernie arranged for his friend Paul Davidson to perform as Elvis and they were joined by sets from vocalist Kelly Knight and the 2Tones.

Mr Hibbert, who owns Small Monsters soft play centre in Corringham, added: “A fantastic sum was raised thanks to the generosity of the people attending the concert in memory of Carol Hibbert.

“Also I would like to give thanks to those that could not attend but donated so generously.

“Many thanks also to the sound engineer Jamie Hibbert.”