A TEAM of staff from a North Somerset veterinary group has helped raise vital funds for charity during a recent extreme challenge.

A total of eights vets, nurses and receptionists from Watkins and Tasker surgeries took part in the Commando Challenge for the Devon Air Ambulance and raised �1,500 for the cause.

The group, which has surgeries in Nailsea, Portishead and Yatton, named its team the Veterinary Vikings for the test, which saw its members take on a 4km Royal Marines endurance training course near Exeter.

Complete with mud hazards, hill climbing, low tunnels and obstacles resulting in participants being submerged under water, the course proved a huge challenge for all those taking part.

Vet Steve Tasker said: “This world-famous assault course is only open to the public once a year so it was too good an opportunity to miss.

“We were all just thankful to have completed the course in one piece. To have then found out we raised such a large amount of money for the charity is just fantastic.”

The Veterinary Vikings have now signed-up for next year’s 10km challenge, for which they have already begun training.