Three friends from Haverhill gave up alcohol for a month to raise money for a special school in the town.

Gary Farrant, Kevin Butcher and Jim Grace went dry in November with the support of their family, friends and work colleagues to raise £600 for Churchill Special Free School in Chalkstone Way.

The trio meet regularly at the Flying Shuttle pub in the town and collection tins were put on the bar for customers to support them.

Mr Farrant’s stepson, Joshua, leaves the school this year and his mum, Christian, said the money was a thank you for the support the school had given him.

She said: “We were talking about the calories in units of drink and I suggested to Gary he might give it up for a month. Kevin and Jim then joined him for support.”

Gary said: “It was quite hard not having a drink for a month, but the amount raised and the support we got was incredible.

“I must say a big thank you to everyone who donated and backed us.”

The money has been spent on a model of the human body so the children can learn where all the organs are, plus other equipment for the science department.

Georgina Ellis, headteacher at Churchill Special Free School, said: “We would like to thank Gary, Kevin and Jim for supporting the school and giving us the opportunity to extend the school’s science resources.

“It means we can give students the advantages of being able to physically manipulate resources.”