IT WAS the ultimate busman's holiday: four removals men carried a sofa to the top of England's highest mountain.

Chris Cox, Joshua Taylor, John Pickett and Dean Evans, of Barleycorn Removals in Dorchester-on-Thames lugged the couch 3,209ft up Scafell Pike in the Lake District.

They were using the five-hour trek to raise money for a cause which is very close to home – the Footsteps Foundation.

Based in Dorchester, the charity raises money to help parents afford to use the village's Footsteps Centre, which provides intensive physiotherapy for children with neurological conditions such as cerebral palsy.

Based in the village, all of the challengers have seen the work of Footsteps Foundation and wanted to do something different to support their local charity.

So, on Sunday, September 25, they hiked their sofa to the top of Scafell Pike, and when they got there had a well-deserved sit-down.

The team had to put up with showers all the way and the going was rough but they have not been put off and now want to take a bed up Ben Nevis next year.

They have raised more than £865 for the foundation and are still collecting donations online at justgiving.com/fundraising/Sofa-up-Scafell

Footsteps Foundation manager Maggie Davies said: "Challenging events like these are difficult but extra motivation comes from knowing that you are supporting disabled children, who have problems with basic mobility, to access much-needed physiotherapy.

"Footsteps Foundation relies on community fundraising events such as these in order to help disabled children learn to take their first steps."