A CHARITY which trains mountain rescue dog teams has been given a “lasting legacy” through money raised by the family and friends of a York climber killed in an Alpine avalanche.

John Taylor, 48, from Upper Poppleton, died along with his friend and neighbour Steve Barber, 47, and fellow Briton Roger Payne on the slopes of Mont Maudit, near Chamonix in France, last July.

Mr Taylor was a volunteer “dogsbody” for the Search And Rescue Dog Association (SARDA), hiding on hills and mountains pretending to be lost so search dogs and handlers could be trained.

The charity has now been given £2,500 towards new equipment through funds raised in the climber’s memory.

It will pay for roll mats, bivvy bags and sleeping bags to keep dogsbodies safe during training exercises, and more donations may follow.

The charity’s spokesman Wayne Thackray, a friend of Mr Taylor, said: “Despite his death, John is providing a lasting legacy and continuing to help us save lives, as we have done 43 times in the last three years.”