Charity team traverses country pulling field gun

The charity team arrived at Land's End after pulling the field gun from John O' Groats

A team which has pulled a one-tonne field gun along the length of Britain for charity has reached the end of the challenge.

Hundreds of people dragged the artillery cannon from John O'Groats in Scotland to Land's End in Cornwall with the aim of raising £150,000 for the charity Military vs Cancer.

They finished the challenge at Land's End at 12:00 GMT on 31 October.

David Bathgate, chief executive officer of Military vs Cancer, said: "This event is about showing what can be achieved when people come together with determination and purpose."

The challenge began on 1 September when a team of 20 servicemen, veterans, volunteers and celebrities started pulling the gun weighing 1,000 kg (2204.62 lb) between 20 and 25 miles a day.

The team was changed daily with a total of 1,300 volunteers taking part over the 45 days, the charity said.

Mark Barnes, a trustee of Military vs Cancer, who served from 1988 to 1996 as a weapons engineer, said it was a cause close to his heart.

"My daughter was diagnosed with cancer at 16, so I know first-hand how important it is to receive support from charities," he said.

"With my own military background, and my son having served as a submariner for nearly nine years, it means even more to me."

He added: "It means so much to represent the military on this challenge and to personally be a small part of this epic achievement."

Organisers said although the challenge was not being verified as a world record, they believed it was the first time a one-tonne field gun had been pulled the entire length of the country.