FUNDRAISING teams from Mid Devon joined more than 100 people who escaped from Dartmoor Prison in aid of charity on Saturday.

Some 30 teams took part in the 20th annual Dartmoor Jailbreak - most were raising money for Exeter's Vranch House School and Centre for children with physical difficulties, but other charities will benefit as well.

Dressed in a variety of costumes, the teams were let loose by Dartmoor Prison duty governor Julie Blacklock, with the aim of getting as far away as possible in four days without spending any money.

An overall total of around £33,000 is expected this year in addition to the £446,000 the event has already raised.

One team called Reuters of the Lost Ark, from Reuters in Tiverton, had raised more than £2,000 for the school already and hoped to make it to Alton Towers dressed as fairies.

Another team, the So Cully Crew 2 - from the Cullompton Family Centre in Cullompton -- wore black t-shirts and baseball caps provided by Devon Shirts and printed with the names of companies that had sponsored the team.

Team leader Maggie Penny said: "We wore jockey hats borrowed from Mole Valley Farmers, and rode our trusty stick horses as our first getaway.

"Mr Crossley, of Crossley and Son Fu-neral Directors in Cullompton, then took us to Exeter Airport and FLY BE gave us flights to Jersey.

"We went to the Jersey Zoo but our lion masks were not a deterrent to the local police who quickly arrested us."

Many more escapades and costumes were in evidence and the team raised approximately £1,000 to split between Vranch House and the Cullompton Fam-ily Centre.

Tiverton team The Booze Boys, led by Kevin Clarke, visited 400 pubs collecting money in Edinburgh, Newcastle, Notting -ham, Bristol, Wellington, Bridgwater, Taunton and finished back in Tiverton.

They got to Scotland by 'kidnapping' the owner of Castle Cabs in Tiverton Rob Redman and taking his taxi.

Kevin told the Mid Devon Star: "We are absolutely knackered but we raised £600 out on the road and £6,000 from raffling the Ford Ka from Blundells in Tiverton worth £5,000.

"We will be announcing the winner of the Ka on Friday. May 23."