Students preparing for a life in the Army have been out on the streets of Wiltshire towns taking part in a stretcher relay to raise money for forces charity Help For Heroes.

About 35 students on the Army Preparation course at Wiltshire College Lackham took part in the relay in Chippenham, Devizes and Calne last Thursday.

Two students took turns to be bandaged up and carried around on stretchers, while others carried a 6ft log, used for Army training and weighing about 40kg.

The group took round collection buckets and sold Help for Heroes wristbands and car stickers, raising £1,500 on Thursday and £200 on Friday.

This will be added to money raised by the students individually, so the final amount raised will be in the region of £2,000 Rob Fielder, lecturer and fitness trainer, said: “It’s very beneficial for the students.

“Many of them are 16 and 17 and this is the first time they have done anything like this. It is raising money for a charity they may be needing one day.

“We were well received in all the towns. There were a lot of people finding out what it was for.”

Harry Andrews, 18, from the College estate in Trowbridge, who aims to be a Royal Engineer, said: “The fundraising has been brilliant. I sold about 60 wristbands on Thursday. It’s a good cause as we need to show the soldiers out there that we are thinking of them.”

The 17-week course teaches the students a range of skills.

One student has already been given a place at the School of Infantry at Catterick in Yorkshire and another at the Army training camp in Pirbright, Surrey.