MORE THAN 2,000 women donned fancy dress to walk the streets of Ipswich during a special late-night event in aid of a worthy local cause.

Scores of people wore wigs, boas, bunny ears and other imaginative costumes while taking part in the Midnight Walk on Saturday night.

The eight-mile walk, which was being held to raise money for St Elizabeth Hospice, started and finished at Ipswich Town’s Portman Road stadium, with most participants taking just over two hours to complete the circuit.

It’s hoped that the event will help to raise in the region of �250,000 for the hospice, which provides specialist care for people throughout east Suffolk.

Emily Sullivan, who helped to organise the Midnight Walk, said: “It was a great atmosphere but also emotional too as many women were walking in memory of people who have been cared for at the hospice.

“We hope that everyone enjoyed themselves and fingers-crossed it will raise �250,000 – which is not bad for a night’s work.”

The first group of walkers were led out by determined breast cancer sufferer Julie Collis, from Ipswich, and hospice chief executive Jane Loughlin.

Mrs Collis, 42, of Glenhurst Avenue, Ipswich, was diagnosed with breast cancer last October and has had the tumour removed and chemotherapy.

She had a mastectomy last month and a course of radiotherapy treatment but was still determined to take part in the walk.

Participants also enjoyed a number of diversions which were specially set up along route to help keep their spirits up.

A group of muscular bare-chested men dressed in collars and cuffs from Felixstowe posed for photos with walkers as they reached St Augustine’s roundabout.

Firefighters from the Colchester Road depot in Ipswich also posed for pictures and chatted to walkers along the way.