Staff at a branch which raised money for charity in a company initiative are to be given the day off.

Their work will be taken over by head office staff at Hamptons International for the day.

The branch in Horsham, West Sussex, raised £1,000 when it took part in a ‘relay’ race in aid of Cancer Research UK.

All 90 Hamptons branches across the south of England took part in the relay over five weeks, together raising over £10,000.

The baton was passed from branch to branch, using different forms of transport, from boats to bikes and classic cars.

It was the second annual relay race for the cause that the agent has staged.

Hamptons has been celebrating its 150th anniversary this year, aiming to make it its biggest year of fund-raising yet.

As part of Challenge 150, each member of the staff has pledged to raise £150.

So far, staff have scaled buildings, completed tough muddlers, run festivals, put on Elvis shows and climbed Snowdon.

In total, Hamptons International has raised almost a quarter of a million pounds for Cancer Research UK and hopes to make it £400,000 by the time the year ends.

Lesley Cairns, managing director of Hamptons International, said: “We are already looking forward to taking on our next challenge for Cancer Research UK.”