AN INTERNET CRUSADE TO RAISE TORCHWOOD CHARACTER IANTO JONES FROM THE DEAD HAS RAISED MORE THAN £12,000 FOR THE 'CHILDREN IN NEED' CHARITY. THE CHARACTER, PLAYED BY NEWPORT ACTOR GARETH DAVID-LLOYD, WAS KILLED OFF DURING THE THIRD SERIES OF THE POPULAR BBC SCI-FI SHOW TO THE HORROR OF MANY FANS. INTERNET CAMPAIGNS CALLING FOR HIS RESURRECTION WERE LAUNCHED ON TWITTER, LIVEJOURNAL AND FACEBOOK BY DISMAYED FOLLOWERS OF THE CHARACTER. THEY HAVE SINCE BOMBARDED THE BBC WITH MORE THAN 7,700 COMPLAINTS AND MANY HAVE SENT THE CORPORATION COFFEE, A REFERENCE TO THE CHARACTER'S STATUS AS 'COFFEE BOY', TO FORCE THE CORPORATION TO BRING THE CHARACTER BACK. A CHARITY CAMPAIGN WAS LAUNCHED IN IANTO'S MEMORY ON THE CHARITY SITE JUSTGIVING, FUNDRAISING FOR CHILDREN IN NEED. DISTRAUGHT FANS EVEN ERECTED A SHRINE AT CARDIFF BAY AND CONTINUE TO LEAVE FLOWERS, PHOTOS AND MESSAGES OF CONDOLENCE TO THE STAR. THE www.saveiantojones.com WEBSITE HAS RECEIVED MORE THAN 100,000 HITS SINCE IT WAS SET UP IN JULY. CAMPAIGN CO-ORDINATOR HELEN SCHOFIELD SAID: 'IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THIS IS NOT JUST A CAMPAIGN TO REINSTATE A POPULAR CHARACTER ON A TELEVISION SHOW. THIS IS A CAMPAIGN WITH A HEART AND A DESIRE TO DO GOOD. WE HAVE BEEN USING THE FUNDRAISING INITIATIVE AS A PLATFORM TO COMMUNICATE TO GARETH DAVID-LLOYD JUST HOW MUCH HE AND HIS CHARACTER ARE LOVED AND ADMIRED.' FANS HAVE FLOODED THE JUSTGIVING SITE TO DONATE TO THE CAUSE AND PAY TRIBUTE TO IANTO. MOURNING FANS THAT SET UP THE PAGE SAID: 'HE MADE US LAUGH, HE MADE US CRY. HE WAS SIMPLY A WELL LOVED CHARACTER. HIS DEATH LEFT A LOT OF US AS SORROWFUL AND HURT AS ANY DEATH OF A PERSON CLOSE TO US.' A BBC WALES SPOKESPERSON SAID: 'IT'S FANTASTIC THAT THE SERIES HAS RECEIVED SUCH SUPPORT AND THAT THE MONEY RAISED IS GOING TO A GOOD CAUSE.'
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