A number of staff from the Nationwide are nursing sore limbs after pulling a Hercules for Comic Relief.

A group of 50 from the building society was joined by 50 personnel from RAF Lyneham to help pull the 46-tonne transport plane 100 metres down the runway at the RAF base.

Pulling the enormous aircraft would have been the equivalent of each person pulling a small car. The current world record for 100 people pulling a Hercules is one minute and 20 seconds.

The combined Nationwide and RAF managed the feat in three minutes.

Jackie Lawrence, speaking for Nationwide said: "It was hugely exciting seeing the Hercules with the big red nose. We really wanted to beat the record of one minute 20. It was hard going at the beginning but three minutes was pretty good going."

Flight Lieutenant John Makinson-Sanders, spokesman for RAF Lyneham was pleased that the base could work with Nationwide.

He said: "We are pleased to be able to work together with Nationwide and help raise money for this important charity."