A HAIR-RAISING charity stunt which started out as a bet between two friends ended up raising £1,000 for a hospital maternity ward.

The charity challenge began with an idle chat between friends Gary Howlett and John Gibson in Newton Aycliffe Workingmen's Club.

Mr Howlett said: "The two of us were just chatting in the club and we wondered what it would be like if we were dropped on a desert island and couldn't shave for a month.

"We had a £5 bet that we wouldn't shave for a month and a few people overheard us and asked to join in.

"We ended up getting seven lads in, it just snowballed from there and we got some sponsor forms drew up."

The original two were joined by Michael Donnelly, Barry Davies, Alan Peacock, Malcolm Tidyman and David Bell, who all managed to complete the challenge.

Mr Howlett said: "It was a good talking point in the club. It aggravated quite a bit, especially round the neck line, and our partners had to put up with it. It was alright for a week or ten days, but after that it was really bad."

The men decided to donate the money raised from their challenge to the maternity unit at Bishop Auckland General Hospital.

Now clean shaven, they presented a cheque for £1,000 to staff at the hospital yesterday.