Family and friends pay tribute to soldier who collapsed and died during London Marathon

The family of an Army captain who died during the London Marathon have paid tribute to their son, saying he always "lived life to the full".

Captain David Seath, who was from Fife in Scotland but had been based in Plymouth, collapsed at the 23-mile mark of the marathon yesterday afternoon.

His mother Libby said:

The soldier's commanding officer described him as 'a natural leader and a true gentleman'. Credit: Facebook/David Seath

Army colleagues said he was due to be promoted to the rank of Major later this year, and was set to train future officers of the Afghan National Army.

The soldier's commanding officer also paid tribute, describing him as a "natural leader and a true gentleman":

A flood of donations have come in on a fundraising page set up by the Afghanistan veteran's friends. Credit: Facebook/David Seath

Donations to a fundraising page for the Afghanistan veteran have taken off, already passing £15,000 in just a few hours.

Friends say they will now finish the marathon for David, walking the final three miles from where he fell.

His friend and colleague James Walker McClimens, who set up the page, said:

A London Marathon spokesperson said the exact cause of the 31-year-old's death will be established later by medical examination. Credit: PA Images

A London Marathon spokesman said the organisation "would like to expresssincere condolences to David's family and friends", adding that the exact cause of the 31-year-old's death will be established by later medical examination.