A £10,000 fund-raising appeal to buy a car for a group of life-savers has reached its target.

The Pickering Community Responders - who are trained to respond to emergencies in their community prior to the arrival of an ambulance - now hope to reach patients more quickly.

In the past they have found it difficult negotiating their way through the town's congested traffic, but the new vehicle will be marked Ambulance Service First Responder.

Community responder Andrew Baird said: "Traffic congestion is a big problem in Pickering, but if we have a marked car, motorists might realise we are responding to an emergency, and may be more inclined to give way to us."

The appeal was given a massive boost thanks to a legacy from Lockton man George Smith, who left money in a trust fund for good causes in the area.

And Mr Baird, 56, did his bit by raising more than £1,000 when he lived as a 14th Century peasant farmer in the crofter's cottage at Ryedale Folk Museum in Hutton-le-Hole for a week.

Other money-spinning efforts included regulars giving cash at the Middleton Arms in Middleton.

Andrew said: "The team is extremely grateful to everyone who helped us to raise this money, with special thanks to the George Smith Trust."

Pickering is the first community responder team to buy its own car in the area covered by the Tees, East and North Yorkshire Ambulance Service.

Ten volunteers, trained in first aid and the use of a defibrillator, belong to the Pickering scheme which was launched in May last year.

Deployed by the Ambulance Service to provide vital treatment in the first moments of a heart attack and other emergencies, they have attended almost 200 call-outs.