IF you were wandering through the streets of Chorley at the weekend you could be forgiven for thinking that the girls of St Trinians had escaped from school on horseback!

With their ripped-stocking school outfits and painted freckled faces, a bunch of local fund-raisers got into the saddle to raise cash for a needy cause.

Their horseback trot stopped at a string of local pubs where the group rattled their collection tins in aid of the Lancashire and Lakeland Cancer Foundation Cancer Unit, at Royal Preston Hospital, which cares for people needing cancer treatment.

Starting from the Thatch and Thistle, in Chorley Road, Blackrod, the charity champs visited ten popular venues before finishing at The Elephant and Castle pub, in Bolton Road, Adlington.

Their big-hearted trek raised more than £200 for the good cause, a sum that is set to rise after the raffle of a television by caring staff at Gallaghers pub, in Little Scotland, in Blackrod.

The all-day ride was inspired by Adlington cancer victim Monica Reddyhough, who was diagnosed with the illness last April.

Monica, 50, attended the specialist cancer unit as an out-patient and spent three months undergoing gruelling chemotherapy treatment.

She said: "It is a very well run place and the staff are wonderful and very caring. But, like many good units, it has more patients than resources which is why we decided to raise the money.

"It is nice to put something back into the unit which treated me so well when I needed cancer treatment."

If you missed the horseback riders but would like to donate cash to the charity call Sue Thompson on 01772 710913.

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