Ref. 11857WALKERS who took part in the traditional Marlborough beating the bounds in October despite the cancellation of the official event, have donated their sponsor money to the Friends of Savernake Hospital.

Lyn Gould and Angie Dickens, who organised the impromptu walk around the town's 12-mile boundary, took advantage of the turf-cutting ceremony for the new hospital on Monday to hand over £64.

More than 40 adults and children took part in the unofficial walk organised at the last moment after Mayor Bill Cavill cancelled the official event because of lack of supporters.

He was unable to get volunteers to marshal the road crossings.

The circular walk around the town crosses all the main roads including the A4 twice at Manton and Forest Hill, the A345 twice at Postern Hill and Bay Bridges, and the A346 Pewsey road at Granham Hill.

Despite an appeal by the mayor, the required number of marshals needed to safely monitor the event did not come forward.

The Gould and Dickens families organised an unofficial walk to ensure the continuity of the beating the bounds whose origins have been lost in the depths of time.

At the time of the walk, Mrs Dickens said it was feared that if the event was discontinued for even one year it might disappear altogether from the town calendar.