SIX army cadets from Wiltshire and a team from St Laurence School, Bradford on Avon, have completed one of the toughest challenges of their lives.

The six cadets, all part of the Wiltshire Army Cadet Force 35-mile team, and the St Laurence team of Holly Rutherford, Amber Doel, Ben Dowler, James Cavan, Emma Philpott and Vera Carbin, were among 2,400 young people taking part in the Army-run Ten Tors Challenge on Dartmoor.

The team, made up of Corporal Nick Collins, Lance Corporals Chris Beckett and Mark Webber and Cadets Neil Palfrey, Ellis Capon and Nick Horton, endured wind, rain, mist and blazing sunshine, while carrying loads of 20kgs across difficult terrain.

Starting out on a Saturday morning, the team crossed the finishing line at 4pm on Sunday having mapped their route over the 35-mile straight-line distance, avoiding rivers and bogs.

Chris Beckett, 15, from Chippenham, was appointed team navigator.

He said: "I love walking and enjoy a challenge. When I heard about it I thought that it would be good fun."

To help the team prepare, two weekend stints in the Brecon Beacons were organised, followed by a further two weekends on Dartmoor.

Team trainer Lieutenant Mark Calaz said: "Training the teams has been difficult, the junior team have been in the middle of SATs and the seniors had work commitments.

"This gets the cadets away from the PlayStation and I hope will broaden their horizons and I then encourage them to do more. They trained and worked hard for the opportunity to take part."

The St Laurence team, trained by Gof Daine and Jeremy Hawke, undertook the silver challenge of 45 miles over the two days and, despite half the teams failing to finish as a full group, the Bradford on Avon youngsters dug in to finish as a complete unit.