HUNDREDS of walkers raised thousands when they took to the streets of Evesham on Friday night in the town's first ever Twilight Walk.

The event, branded the 10 at 10, saw 280 people pound the pavements in order to raise cash for Cancer Research UK.

Two walks took place on Friday night with people opting to either take on 5km or 10km on the night but the evening kicked off with a warm up at Evesham High School.

Paul Baylis, who organised the event as an alternative to the Relay for Life, which he also chairs, said the evening had far exceeded his expectations.

"So far we have raised £10,000," he said. "It's great, the 10 at 10 raises £10,000. It was an amazing success.

"I am over the moon with how it all went. Originally I was hoping to raise a few thousand pounds so to have raised £10,000 is incredible. It's overwhelming.

"People travelled from all over the place to take part. There was a great community spirit, you couldn't bottle the atmosphere.

"There were people dotted around who knew we were coming. But pubs spotted us as well. At Chancers in Evesham they did a whip round and donated £50."

And the event has proved to be such a success it is to become an annual fundraiser in the town.

"It's going to become an annual event," added Mr Baylis. "It was such a success. There were people aged five to 70 taking part.

"I would like to thank everyone that took part, and a special thanks to Mel Dean."

The Relay for Life, a 24 hour event that sees teams continuously walking a course, is taking place at Evesham High School on Saturday, June 28, at noon.

To find out more visit relay.cancerresearchuk.org.