A COMPANY boss has told of his delight at raising £5,000 for charity in his first London Marathon.

Peter Rowley, chief executive of Darlington Building Society, with colleague David Dodd, completed last Sunday's event in aid of homelessness charity Shelter.

"We had a fantastic day in London," said Mr Rowley.

"It was a real inspiration to see so many people pushing themselves to raise money for charity and on a personal note it was great to complete my first marathon.

"David and I managed to complete the 26.2 miles in 3 hours 44 minutes and 3 hours 53 minutes respectively."

The pair's most generous contribution came from Darlington Borough Council, which donated £1,000.