POLISH communities across the south have joined forces to raise funds for a young girl following her mother’s death.

Waitress Katarzyna Ryba, 26, suffered a fatal stab wound to her heart at a Bournemouth block of flats in the early hours of Friday, October 2.

Miss Ryba, who was found in the car park of April Court in Wellington Road, is believed to have fallen from a second floor window. She died in Poole hospital’s accident and emergency unit.

Yesterday collections were held at Catholic churches in Southampton, Bournemouth and London.

Audrej Skala-Puch, one of the organisers, told the Daily Echo: “We are friends of Katarzyna and want to help her three-year-old daughter. We have raised £400 in two days and need £4,000 so the child can go back to Poland and be cared for by her family. Her uncle has come over to England from Poland to look after her. He doesn’t have any money so we need to help the family.”