A BUMPER charity cheque has just been presented to Matt Woodley from BBC Radio Devon for the BBC Radio Devon Air Ambulance Appeal following an event in West Devon.

The South West Mule Group raised £1,404 with an auction of pledges and social evening at Jethro's in Lewdon on July 16. The cheque was presented by group chairman Martin Littlejohn, treasurer David Landick and secretary Mary Heard.

Among the lots donated were two tickets to Newton Abbot races with transport and lunch, a meal for two at the Betty Cottles Inn and pledges including the mowing of 50 acres of grass and shearing of 50 sheep.

Group secretary Mary Heard from Yelland Farm said: 'The evening went very very well. We had between 60 and 70 different lots up for auction, and around 170 people turned up to take part. We raised £2,808 in total, splitting the money between the group and the Air Ambulance Appeal.

'We chose the Air Ambulance as our charity because it's already touched lots of our families. Also as farmers, we feel it's pertinent to support them as if one of us were injured in a field, and there was no access for a land ambulance, it would be Devon Air Ambulance helping us out.

'The group are rather pleased with how the evening went. We thought it would be nice to do something for a good cause and for the group, and it's nice to link that in with a social evening for our members.

'We said all along we would donate half the money raised from the event to the Air Ambulance, but we didn't expect to raise so much.

The SWMG is passionate about breeding high quality mules out of Scotch Blackface and Swaledale ewes.

The mule ewe lambs retain the sought-after traits of their parents, and the group aim to preserve these traits that make for an ideal breeding sheep.

The group is now entering its busiest period of the year, with their next sale on Tuesday September 27 at Tavistock Livestock Centre.