A GROUP of John Bentley School teachers are to tackle the Pretty Muddy obstacle course for Cancer Research UK after losing a colleague to the devastating disease.

Former maths teacher Dave Wharton died of cancer in March this year and 22 female teachers have decided to run the five kilometre course to raise funds to combat the illness.

Jo Farrell, 53, a member of the school's pastoral support team, said: “The school is a close community and it can only affect you when something like that happens.

“None of us have ever done the Pretty Muddy before. A few of us had done Race for Life but this is a new one on all of us.

“We expect that we are going to get very muddy. There are some quite fit ladies among us and there are those like myself that are not at the peak of fitness.

“We are going to give it a good go and we expect it is going to be a good laugh. We have a really good team so it is also a nice thing to do to get us all together.

“Most people are affected by cancer at some point in their lives. It is one that touches most of us and most will have lost someone who struggled with cancer.

“One of our students has cancer as well and so it just makes it that little bit more relevant.”

Talking about Mr Wharton, Ms Farrell said: "We all knew him and worked alongside him and were friends with him. It was previously in remission but then it reared its head again.

“We have lost numerous members of staff to cancer or those that have retired and later died from it.”

The course, at Lydiard Park, Swindon on Saturday, May 21 is part of a larger campaign by the teachers to raise funds having previously thrown a Big Breakfast event last March.

To support the teacher’s charity run go to www.justgiving.com/Pretty-Muddy-2016.