DORSET police officers took up a 24-hour sponsored rowing challenge to raise £1,000 for their colleagues in New York devasted by the terrorist attacks.

Serving officers from throughout Dorset, support staff and their families plus members of 11 Royal Signals from Blandford Camp all took part in the marathon row held at Blandford police station.

Even senior police chiefs including the Chief Constable Jane Stichbury got involved and had a go at helping to boost the fund-raising totals.

Volunteers took turns to spend 20 minutes on a rowing machine in a continuous cycle which started at 7am on Sunday and went on through the night to finish at the same time the following day.

The event was the brainchild of Blandford police inspector Annie Symes who saw the 24-hour marathon through to the end. She completed six 20-minute stints on the rowing machine herself during the day and night.

Afterwards she told the Echo: "My neck aches a bit and I've had no sleep but it's definitely been worth it.

"Everyone did 20 minutes on the machines, which is not too much to ask if it helps our colleagues in New York with what they have been through and are still going through.

"We had so much more support than we expected with officers getting up in the night to come down and take part. We had a lot of families and children too so the youngest rower was just ten and the oldest was my dad at 73. We had at least one rowing machine going the full 24-hours and we have raised more than £1,000 as a result."

She added: "We are also having a raffle of a Sydney 2000 Olympics t-shirt signed by the members of the coxless fours team together with a message of good luck sent by Matthew Pinsent to us.

"With the money we have had pledged for that, the grand total should be £1,500 so we will sent it together with a big card signed by everyone wishing our colleagues in New York well especially in the run up to Christmas."