A crew of firefighters fought the elements to take part in a 24-hour marathon, rescue Father Christmas, and raise almost £12,000 for two charities.

Fakenham firefighters completed their race to rescue Father Christmas on November 27, as crew members took turns running 5K laps of the town for 24 hours straight, finishing with the rescue of Santa.

The race was one part of their fundraising, along with a charity auction, where they served a three-course meal by the fire crew and people were able to bid for items donated by local businesses, and warm-up runs at supermarkets. Through all these efforts, the crew have raised £11,800 for First Focus and The Firefighters Charity.

Fakenham & Wells Times: Father Christmas was rescued, the conclusion of the town's firefighters fundraising efforts.Father Christmas was rescued, the conclusion of the town's firefighters fundraising efforts. (Image: Alie Hannam)

Mark Edge, crew manager at Fakenham, said: “Everyone involved felt overwhelmed by the support of the public and local businesses in helping us put on a great community event and raising more money than we could’ve ever thought possible.

“The fire crew at Fakenham would like to pass on their thanks to everyone that has supported us throughout the events.”