Children’s Hospice South West’s first ever Jail and Bail event on Friday has already raised a whopping £23,000, with more money still coming in.

Betty Stogs, Skinners' Queen of Ales; comedian Johnny Cowling; Steve Chapman from CHSW’s Roseland Friends' Group; Shane Solomon, from the Cornwall Channel; Andy Ross from RNAS Culdrose; Roger Lyle from Mitchel and Webber; Neil Skyba from Polymermedics; Matt Franks from Fluid Branding and Stuart Jarvis from Santander were the nine "prisoners" who took part.

They assembled at Bodmin Police Station on Friday morning and were then transported in police vans to the Bodmin Court Room Experience on Mount Folly. Their charges were read, evidence was given and some colleagues came along to speak as witnesses. Following their plea all prisoners were found guilty of their crimes and had just four hours to each raise their bail sum of £999 to be released.

Prisoners were calling friends, family, colleagues, suppliers and clients to persuade them to make a donation towards their bail. When 4pm came the fundraising team announced that £23,112 had been raised in just four hours but it was clear that donations were still rolling in.

The success of Jail and Bail far exceeded the expectations of CHSW’s fundraising team. Sarah Stott, corporate partnerships fundraiser, said: “On behalf of all of the children and families we care for I would like to thank each and every one of our nine prisoners and their supporters for helping to raise such an incredible sum of money. We were blown away by the donations given to help bail our prisoners out and it was an absolutely fantastic day. Thank you all so much.”

CHSW would like to thank the team at Bodmin Courtroom Experience, Devon and Cornwall Constabulary, Bodmin Town Council, Pirate FM, Skinners Brewery, "Prison Warden" Jonathan Start of Start & Co and "Judge" Chris Batters.

Money raised from Jail and Bail will go straight towards the care and support offered by CHSW to children with life limiting illnesses and their families that use Little Harbour in St Austell, which costs over £2million a year to run.