A motley crew of mischief-makers were rounded up in a Suffolk town and locked away until they could cough up enough charity cash for their release.

The Jail and Bail event was arranged in Woodbridge by Home-start Suffolk Coastal, raising almost £5,000 for the charity’s work supporting local families facing difficult times.

The first rascal to be nabbed by off-duty specials was Woodbridge School headteacher Neil Tetley. He was hauled out of a Year Eight lesson for the crime of cattle rustling.

This was swiftly followed by Brian Turner, deputy head at Kesgrave High, who was apprehended mid-tackle on the football field, ending up face down in the mud. Then it was onto The Thoroughfare for the arrests of Dave Foskett, Colin Low, Simon Ronan and Stephen Thurlow. The Mayor of Woodbridge, Geoff Holdcroft, tried to avoid arrest by cycling off but was soon caught.

The dastardly band were taken to the Shire Hall, where they were sentenced by Stephen Foster of BBC Radio Suffolk, who said: “I was delighted to be the judge and jury, but thought I better stop short of being the executioner.” Ella Heeney, from Home-Start, said “This has been a fantastic event that has surpassed the charities expectations, the prisoners have really entered into the spirit of things, and have made this event so successful.”

You can still contribute to the cause until the end of the month at mydonate.bt.com/charities/home-startsuffolkcoastal.