PRISON workers Vikki Royal and Patsy Hopkins made a dash for freedom - and ended up half way across Europe.

The pair, administrative managers at Durham City's Low Newton Prison, turned fugitives at the weekend to raise money for the charity ChildLine Yorkshire and North-East.

They volunteered to make a sponsored great escape with the aim of getting as far as they could in 24 hours without spending any money.

They set off at 1pm on Saturday from the Court Inn, near the city's crown court, with hopes of getting to the US.

Vikki said, as they prepared to leave: "We have to beg and scrounge. All we have got is £5.

"We are heading to Heathrow, where we will hurl ourselves on the better nature of the airlines and beg for empty seats.

"Failing that, we'll head down to the Channel and try to get into Europe.''

Local car dealer Pulman VW provided them with a car and driver for the journey to Heathrow Airport. Unfortunately, the pair's hopes of a flight across the Atlantic were dashed and 24 hours later they were in Luxembourg, having got a lift to Kent and got on the EuroStar train.

They hope their efforts will boost the funds of ChildLine, which runs a helpline providing advice and comfort for distressed youngsters.

They had raised £600 in sponsorship from colleagues and friends and were collecting money on their journey.

ChildLine regional fundraiser Joanne Summers said: "It is a nice way for people to raise money for ChildLine. They can have fun and help us.

"We need to raise £1m because, at the moment, we are only answering half the calls we receive. We need more volunteers.''

The furthest anyone on the challenge has gone is Tenerife - achieved by firefighters from Leeds.