TWO police officers from Amesbury have raised £1,080 for charity by taking part in one of the most gruelling stages of the Tour de France.

PC Tim Bunt and PCSO Will Todd set themselves the challenge of competing in the 112-mile Étape du Tour to raise funds for Help for Heroes.

The event started at Pau on July 18, the route encompassing three Pyrenean mountains and ascending more than 4,000 metres before reaching the finish line at Col du Tourmalet.

Despite making it through all the elimination points along the way, when the pair were seven miles from the finish line, they were caught by the broom wagon – a vehicle driving along behind to picking up the stragglers.

“We were in the saddle for more than ten hours and 15 minutes,” said PC Bunt. “It was by far the hardest event I have ever done, and despite riding more than 3,600 miles in the last year, I found there were not enough hills around here.

“The thing that broke us was the 39C heat that was burning down as we climbed the 25km-long Col du Solour – it was a very hot day.

“We went to France at the start of June and climbed this hill and the Col du Tourmalet without stopping, but the heat was unlike anything else I experienced.”