An all-action team from the Sutton Guardian has raised £1,500 for charity after proving they were tough enough to complete an army assault course.

Assistant editor Andy Veale and reporters Steve Wrelton, Richard Lyons and Nina Jacobs were among the new recruits to take on a 28-obstacle course at an army training centre in Pirbright.

Joined by colleagues from the weekly paper’s advertising department, they tackled scramble nets, rope swings across water, 10ft walls and “anything that caused pain and discomfort”.

Andy said: “It was certainly one of the most challenging things we’ve ever done, but we’re really proud that everyone managed to finish the course in one piece.

“There were a few cuts and bruises and we were all quite achy the next day, but it was all for a very good cause.”

Supervised by three army fitness instructors, the team were first given tips on how to tackle the course, and also had a shot at paintballing before being given just 15 minutes to tackle all 28 obstacles.

The money raised from the event has been donated to the Sutton Guardian’s New Life Appeal for the neo-natal unit at St Helier Hospital.

The appeal aims to raise £52,000 to buy equipment for the unit’s sick and premature babies and has already topped more than £4,000 (excluding the assault course fund) in just over three months.