TORBAY's lifeboat crew has reached its £10,000 fundraising target thanks to a back-breaking row across the Bay.

All 24 RNLI station crew members took part in the SOS Day and rowed in a former 19th century lifeboat covering the eight miles between St Mary's Bay at Brixham to Haldon Quay, where Torquay's lifeboat was stationed until 1923.

While the RNLI men were rowing across Tor Bay, the wives and girlfriends undertook their own challenge of pulling a modern, D-class inshore lifeboat 10 and a half miles by road from the current lifeboat station in Brixham, through Paignton to meet the old lifeboat at Haldon Pier. The ladies contributed to the fundraising total with their own £1,500 effort from donations along the way.

Colin Bower, RNLI spokesman for Torbay, said the event had raised more than £10,000.

He said: "It went very well. The whole station took part in the event with the crews changing at every stop.

"The ladies did very well, too, pulling the lifeboat along the road.

"SOS Day is a great event which brings the whole station together."

Mr Bower said crowds cheered the two teams on in the three towns with a special reception being organised in Torquay.

He added: "The people of Torbay were very supportive.

"On the whole people here like the RNLI and recognise the work that we do."

Other RNLI teams in Dartmouth and Teignmouth also took part in similar events as part of the national campaign.

SOS Day is one of the charity's national fundraising events.

The £10,000 target will help the Torbay team to buy new life jackets.

Anyone wanting to donate to the SOS Day fundraising campaign can log on here