WOMEN drivers grabbed their gearsticks and threw caution to the wind as they raised £26,000 for charity at the wheel of a variety of exotic vehicles.

The 165 participants in the Marie Curie Cancer Care Ladies Driving Challenge at Pershore's Throckmorton airfield drove fire engines, tractors and even combine harvesters to raise enough money to fund 1,300 extra nursing hours to help people living with cancer.

The chairman of the Kidderminster Advanced Motorists Group, Andrea Beech, was delighted at the success of what she described as a fantastic event.

"As well as being enormous fun it was an important learning curve, enabling us to understand and really appreciate the skills required by the drivers and the limitations of the vehicles," she said.

"This should, in turn, make us all more considerate and aware when we meet these vehicles on the roads."

The event was open to women from Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire with a driving licence.

Each of the women had to raise £100 in sponsorship.

Anyone who missed the action can find out about other events at www.

mariecurie.org.uk/events