FUNDRAISERS who are allowed to take over a toll bridge for a day have topped £10,000.

Grahame Penny and Maggie Taylor bought Whitney toll bridge in 2012 and since then have allowed the community to raise money at the bridge.

Maggie said: "Rather than just give anonymous donations we invite local charities and worthy causes the opportunity to take over our bridge for a day and raise funds for themselves.

"We make it very clear from the start that we’re not just going to give them the toll fees for the day so in all cases we put the barrier up and expect them to rattle their buckets for donations, sell cakes and refreshments and, in one case, even a relaxing massage."

The fundraising total has now topped £10,000 after Jane Cook and her team of family and friends raised funds for Mercia Accident Rescue Service (MARS), a charity which delivers immediate medical care to those who are critically injured and ill in Herefordshire and Worcestershire.

They collected £712 from donations at the bridge on the day.

Jane said: "My son Jack tragically lost his life in a traffic accident last year and I can’t thank the MARS team for arriving on the scene so promptly to make him comfortable and reassure him before the ambulance arrived.”

Jack, 23, died in a single vehicle crash on August 11 last year in Whitney-on-Wye.