PIRATES went on a hunt for plunder as they took a voyage along the River Thames on a mission for charity.

The motley crew weighed anchor in their narrowboat at Eynsham before heading to the Prince of Wales pub in Iffley, Oxford, and then on to the Cross Keys, in Abingdon.

After a cruise to Henley, the pirates returned to Oxford and holed up at The Trout, Wolvercote.

The fundraisers, from left, Matt Linton-Smith, Vikki Ludlow, Izzy East and Mik Ashfield, who all work at the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre, in Headington, were raising money for Cancer Research UK.

Mr Ashfield said: “This is the fourth year in a row we have done this. In Henley we missed meeting (Pirates of the Caribbean actor) Orlando Bloom, who was shopping in Waitrose, by about a minute – that would have made a great photo.

“Last year we raised £1,300, although I don’t think we’ll get that much this time. But the chest is quite heavy and lots of people put in notes.

“It’s all sealed up, so we don’t yet know how much we’ve raised.”

To offer the crew some sponsorship, see justgiving.com/pota4