THE organisers of the bus trips to Imber for the open days on August 17 and 18 say the event has raised nearly £25,000 for charity.

Martin Curtis, managing director of the Bath Bus Company, which supplied some of the modern buses for the weekend, said he was “absolutely astonished” by how much they have raised.

“We have nearly doubled what we raised last year when we collected £13,000 for charity,” he said.

“No-one is more surprised than me at how successful it has been this year. I have been absolutely astonished by the reaction from the public this year.”

"We organised 12,000 passenger journeys and had an excursion train come in from London with 200 people on board. It's difficult to say how many visitors we had because some people came in cars."

The proceeds will be split between the Friends of St Giles’s Church and the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal, with £2,000 also going to Macmillan Cancer Support.