A charity football tournament has been held in memory of a student sports journalist who died from meningitis in March.

Christopher McKee, 21, a first-year BA Sports Journalism student at Sunderland University was found dead by friends in halls on 26 March.

Tests later found that he died from a meningococcal infection.

Friends organised the event, held on Saturday, to raise money and awareness of the disease.

Neil Farrington, senior lecturer in sports journalism, told the Sunderland Echo: “Chris was a terrific lad.

“The tournament is a testament to the impact he had on his fellow students during his time in Sunderland.

“Chris is still in our thoughts and this is another fitting tribute to him.”

Chris, from Northern Ireland, was described as a popular student with a bright future.

Money raised from the match will add to the £300 already raised by his friends who remember him as a quiet and considerate young man.

James Firth, from Doncaster, was Chris’s best friend at university and organised the charity tournament.

Said James: “I want to make people as aware as possible about the seriousness of this disease and raise as much money as possible in the search for a vaccine.”

The winning team will now play a special game against a girls’ team, in which the men’s team will donate £5 for every goal scored by the women.

In a statement released after his death a university spokesperson said that Christopher was very popular with his peers and his lecturers.

The spokesperson said: “He was an intelligent student who had a bright future ahead of him and it is tragic that his life has been cut short.”