A horde of Santas raced through Saffron Walden at the weekend to raise money for a disability charity.

The Santa Dash, which took place on Sunday, December 4, was run by disability charity Accuro, which supports children, young people and adults with disabilites in west Essex.

Saffron Walden Reporter: Santas taking part in the Accuro Santa Dash in Saffron WaldenSantas taking part in the Accuro Santa Dash in Saffron Walden (Image: Celia Bartlett)

Participants were encouraged to run or walk the 500m route as many times as they could in 30 minutes, and had to complete one lap of the course minimum to receive a medal.

Runners were given the option of completing the course in a full-sized Santa suit, or simply with a Santa hat on their heads.

Mayor of Saffron Walden Cllr James de Vries donned a Santa suit to take part, running a total of eight laps.

The event raised a total of £1,648 and saw 53 participants taking part, an increase from 32 in the previous year.

Saffron Walden Reporter: Families took part in the Saffron Walden Santa DashFamilies took part in the Saffron Walden Santa Dash (Image: Celia Bartlett)

Local boy William Burns, who has a rare muscle disease and a lifelong disability, took part in his walker, which was decorated with tinsel and bore the words 'Go William'.

William completed three laps of Market Square and raised more than £700, far exceeding his £100 target.

Accuro is one of the Mayor's chosen charities for 2022. To find out more information about the charity's work go to https://www.accuro.org.uk/.

Saffron Walden Reporter: The Santa Dash in Saffron WaldenThe Santa Dash in Saffron Walden (Image: Celia Bartlett)

Saffron Walden Reporter: The Santa Dash in Saffron WaldenThe Santa Dash in Saffron Walden (Image: Celia Bartlett)

Saffron Walden Reporter: The Santa Dash in Saffron WaldenThe Santa Dash in Saffron Walden (Image: Celia Bartlett)

Saffron Walden Reporter: The Santa Dash in Saffron WaldenThe Santa Dash in Saffron Walden (Image: Celia Bartlett)