THE Big Learner Relay to raise funds for Children in Need rolled into Watchet on Monday to be greeted by town crier David Milton.

A crowd watched as a special box was handed on from one town driving instructor to another.

It was day four of a 15-day event and the Watchet instructors were leading a convoy for their stretch, as the Big Learner Relay Pudsey Top Box is relayed from one driving school car to the next, covering 3,000 miles worth of driving lessons.

Instructors Steve Page and Nick Tapp met in the town for their handover on Monday, to help the relay on its way to a grand finale at Donnington Race Park on Friday November 18, Children in Need Appeal Day.

Steve Page’s learner driver Tony Chambers - who decided it was time to learn to drive a car after riding motorbikes for 30 years - drove his instructor across the top of Exmoor from Tiverton.

There they meet up with instructor Nick Tapp and his pupil, Narelle McLoughlin from Minehead, who took the box on to Taunton for the next stage of the relay.

Over £400 had already been raised in Watchet for the relay even before Monday, through an open mic evening at a Watchet pub and the sale of ‘spotty buns’.

Instructors taking part have decorated their cars with spots and invited people to ‘sponsor a spot,’ and in Watchet, Steve Page invited them to also sponsor a special spotted banner which local organisations provided.

Now the Liddymore Road Co-Op is also holding a fundraising event throughout the week in support, inviting people to guess the number of smarties in a jar.

“Watchet – the Big Learner Relay loves you,” said Lou Walsh, who originally started the relay, now in its third year, when she wrote on Steve’s banner having accompanied him in the lead car as she does with all other instructors for 15 days.

By Monday, the country-wide driving event had already raised £40,000, and over 190 instructors and their pupils are taking part.