SIDMOUTH people rose to the occasion at the weekend to tackle the Commando Challenge at Woodbury Common and raise money for charity.

SIDMOUTH people rose to the occasion at the weekend to tackle the Commando Challenge at Woodbury Common and raise money for charity.

Brinley Roberts, 39, from Newlands Road, Sidmouth, was one of 13 in a team called Dirty Money, who raised more than �950 for Devon Air Ambulance and the Royal British Legion, when they completed the 10 kilometre challenge on Sunday in two hours, 15 minutes.

"It was a spur of the moment thing," said Brinley. "Some of my friends who had done it before were talking about it and I decided to do it."

Most of the team were from the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital, where Brinley used to work in the IT department. He now works as an auction assistant at Potbury's Auctions.

"Our main aim was to raise money for a good cause. It was quite a fantastic event with thousands of people doing it."

Brinley mostly ran up and down the Byes, Sidmouth seafront and Muttersmoor to get fit for the three kilometre run to and from the gruelling four kilometre assault course.

"I started by running home at lunchtime, then through the streets of Sidmouth and also cross country.

"The 10k was a bit of a baptism of fire because I had not run that distance in training, so it was quite a big step up, but we helped each other along and had to wait to do the obstacles."

He said the worst part was crawling through a small, long and muddy tunnel, using his elbows to pull himself along.

"It was pitch black and quite gruelling. Running back at the end when soaking wet and covered in mud wasn't nice either."

The best part was hearing his wife Nicola and her family cheering him on at the finish line.

Like Brinley, the six-strong team from Fords of Sidmouth, threw away their mud-caked running gear after the challenge.

They raised �500 on the day and still had smiles left for their photograph.

"It was a great day and well organised," said Mike, who is pictured with (l-r): Vicky Smee, Sasha Cummins, Alison Marchant, Melissa Ford and Fiona Cummins.

It is second time that Sash, mum Fiona and grandmother Alison have done the challenge.