A weekly newspaper’s bid to raise £55,000 to help beat prostate cancer has exceeded its target.

The Bury Free Press launched its Beat It! campaign earlier this year to raise the money to fund prostate cancer probe equipment at West Suffolk Hospital.

The total now stands at £58,000 after a £10,000 donation from local fund-raising group the St Edmund’s Wheel.

Each year, 40,000 men in the UK are diagnosed with prostate cancer and the new machine will enable hospital staff to treat it earlier.

Local fundraisers present a £10,000 cheque to take the newspaper beyond its target.

Editor Barry Peters said: “This was always going to be a huge sum to raise in a year, but the community took Beat It! to its heart. I want to thank everyone who donated.”

Dave Gooderham, fund-raising manager for the hospital, said: “The astounding generosity shown by the public in raising even more than £55,000 allows us to further enhance the care and services we can offer to patients living with prostate cancer.”

You can still donate to Beat It! at www.justgiving.com/BFP-Beat-It