A TEAM of brave police volunteers faced their fears and took the plunge to raise thousands for charity.

Summoning all their courage, 18 volunteers from Hampshire police completed a tandem skydive with GoSkydive.

Five daredevils opted to raise the bar a jump from 15,000ft while the other 13 took on the 10,000ft dive, all reaching speeds of up to 125mph in freefall for 60 seconds.

Julie Hughes organised the event for members of the Hampshire Police’s Call Management teams based in Netley, Southampton and Winchester.

The team raised £2,500 for Ickle Pickles, a neonatal care charity, which has been fantastic in supporting one of their colleagues.

The charity uses donations to buy specialised equipment, such as incubators and ventilators, to help neonatal units provide incredible levels of care for sick and premature babies.

Angela Orr, from Southampton, who completed a skydive from 15,000ft, said: “It was the most amazing experience and a fantastic way to raise £2,500 with a group of colleagues for Ickle Pickles charity. It was so worth it - just awesome!”

Gordon Blamire, from GoSkydive, added: “GoSkydive is the only centre that specialises in tandem skydives for ‘first-timers’, which makes us a popular choice for charity fundraisers.

"We always aim to give our customers the best possible experience, especially when they are doing it for such a good cause, and we’re delighted to have helped members of the Hampshire Police to raise so much for Ickle Pickles and have loads of fun in the process.”