Six police officers from Waltham Forest have successfully completed the gruelling National Three Peaks Challenge, in under 24 hours.

Earlier this month the officers from the borough’s tasking team completed twenty three hours and twenty nine minutes of climbing as they attempted to make it to the top of three well known mountains.

The challenge is normally started in Scotland and completed at Mount Snowden in Wales.

However, determined to do it in an unconventional way, the team did it backwards.

PC’s Kev Aitken, Troy Gagadelis, Dave Matthews, Chris Busby and Kev Clancy began the first of the three climbs in Wales completing it in three hours and seven minutes.

The second stage saw them scale Scaffel Pike in the Lake District in four hours and 20 minutes.

Joined by the team’s driver for the final climb PC Martin Sullivan, the team finally achieved their goal and concluded their challenge at the Scottish snow covered mountain of Ben Nevis in six hours and 29 minutes.

During the time it took for the unit to complete the self funded challenge, the officers clocked a total of 29.4 miles up and down mountains.

PC Kev Aitken who admitted that the challenge came about after a discussion about deep fried Mars-bars, said that it was tougher than the team had imagined.

They raised a total of £1780 for Cancer Research.