It may look like an April Fool's Day stunt, but Sidmouth Lifeboat really did drive a dinghy along a country road on April 1st, which was Easter Monday.

The charity was taking part in the Otterton Soap Box Derby, a fun competitive event involving home-built, non-motorised vehicles.

The derby hadn't taken place since 1993, but was revived this year as a community event to help raise money for a revamp of Otterton's play park and sports area.

A team from Sidmouth Lifeboat built the 'land boat' and it was driven, or helmed, by Alice Dutton. The derby wasn't a race - instead, entrants competed to travel the furthest possible distance along a hilly, bumpy and muddy lane running past Stantyway Farm in Otterton. The winner, an Otterton resident, managed to get 714 metres along the road.

The Soap Box Derby attracted nearly 1,000 spectators and raised around £2,500 for the local play area. Organisers said they were 'staggered' by the level of interest, and the success of the day itself, and they are now planning to make it an annual event for the community calendar.