POLICEMEN have put their best feet forward to help parents of special needs children.

Eight officers at Cleveland Police headquarters pledged to walk the 72 miles from Ulverston to Carlisle in aid of The Friends of Gleneagles support group.

They took five days, with overnight stops at youth hostels along the way, to complete the challenge - and they have exceeded all expectations to collect £1,300 for the parents.

Detective Sergeant Dave Griffiths, the event organiser, said: "We did quite a bit of walking in preparation for the event, and were averaging about 15 miles each day throughout the trip.

"We hoped to raise £1,000, but we are pleased to report that we managed an extra £300 thanks to the generosity of our supporters.