Car sales manager Reg Howe took a ride in the fast lane.

He spent a night shift with a Thames Valley Police patrol after bidding £500 for the experience at a charity auction.

Mr Howe, the general manager of Reg Vardy, Banbury's Citroen dealers, outbid fellow guests at a Local Heroes dinner in Oxford.

The money went to the Fox FM and Four Pillars chosen charities. They are: the Pathway Workshop for people with severe learning difficulties; the new Douglas House hospice in east Oxford; and the Pendyffryn Children's Trust, based in Charlbury, which provides holidays for children who have suffered trauma.

Mr Howe spent ten hours in an area response car dashing between incidents at speeds of up to 120mph. The car responded to numerous calls including an armed robbery, a vehicle fire, and a three-car pile-up.

Mr Howe said: "It was an eye-opening adventure. At Reg Vardy we try to work closely with the local police to combat car crime and support various initiatives.

"But going out on patrol puts a different perspective on the tremendous job our policemen and women do every day."