PEDAL power and a head for heights have seen a Cricklade man raise £200 for Children in Need.

Bob Sanders took two days to cycle from his home to the foot of Mount Snowdon in north Wales. The gutsy 51year-old then climbed the 3,559ft mountain in seven hours.

And Mr Sanders, who works for the traffic management department at Swindon Council, accomplished the feat with Children in Need mascot Pudsey Bear tucked in his rucksack.

Despite having no one but Pudsey for company, Mr Sanders said he had enjoyed his fundraising adventure.

He said: "There was stormy weather on the second day of cycling but Pudsey was kept safe and sound in his waterproofs."

Mr Sanders raised the money after being sponsored by colleagues.

He said: "The money is still coming in and I think the total is around the £200 mark."

Meanwhile, Swindon Press-ings has branched out into producing time travelling vehicles for Children in Need which starts today.

More used to catering for drivers who just want to cruise motorways or nip across town for a bit of shopping, their latest creation is just the thing for spanning the aeons.

A seven strong team from the BMW owned factory's training and plant services department have put their skills into creating an accurate replica of Dr Who's runabout of choice, the Tardis, taking a month and mostly working in their spare time.

It was due to be displayed today and tomorrow between 10am and 2pm at the Designer Outlet Village, as part of the shopping centre's science fiction-themed Space Station Pudsey II fundraising extravanganza, complete with Daleks and cybermen.

Swindon Pressings was initially approached by Dave Latham, Wiltshire's Children in Need Co-ordinator.

Swindon Pressings project engineer Kevin Cook said: "Dave remembered when we produced a polystyrene Tardis for Child-ren in Need in 1986 and contacted us again.

"This time we decided to make it in wood and hopefully look more authentic.

"The Tardis has been built to scale and we've even added the famous sound effects.

"We've had great fun working on the project, and we hope it will raise lots of money for Children in Need. "

The BBC supplied the plans of the Tardis in the TV series for Kevin and his team to copy.

After the event at the shopping centre, the Tardis will be auctioned to raise further money for Children in Need. There will also be Star Wars characters.

In another Children in Need event, the Learning and Skills Council in Westlea today invited staff to donate to the cause in exchange for five minutes of fame. Wootton Bassett mayor Marion Sweet was drafted in as a celebrity photographer to take their pictures.

The Learning and Skills Council was also holding a bring and buy sale, a competition in which staff were invited to guess which pet belonged to which colleague, and other events.

At the Leapfrog Day Nursery in St Andrew's Ridge, parents were asked for a £1 donation so their children could wear crazy-coloured socks, hats and slippers.

Nursery manager Pauline Young said: "At Leapfrog we are always keen to support worthwhile charities such a Children in Need."

Other planned fundraising events across the area ranged from two managers of Staples in Greenbridge having their heads shaved and legs waxed to staff of the Cameo hair salon in Chiseldon appearing in drag.