MORE than 122 tractors took part in a 35-mile fundraising event which raised £10,000 for a Hampshire hospital.

Farmers from Hampshire, Wiltshire and Gloucester completed a six-hour tractor run which took them through places including Winchester, Hursley and Romsey.

Romsey Young Farmers' Club staged the event in aid of Southampton General Hospital.

Southampton Hospital Charity is aiming to buy a £4,500 machine that mimics a cough, which helps unblock the airways of the lungs.

People who benefit from the device include patients with spinal cord injuries or those with an "ineffective" cough caused by muscle weakness.

The tractor run began at Michelmersh Manor Farm and ended at the Bear and Ragged Staff pub in Timsbury.

In Romsey a large crowd gathered to watch the vehicles - some of which were covered in Christmas decorations - pass through the town centre.

Cries of "here they come" rang out as the sound of approaching tractors gradually got louder.

Drivers repeatedly tooted their horns while others sitting alongside them in the cab held out buckets in the hope of receiving a donation for the hospital.

Spectators were dwarfed by some of the larger vehicles which took part in the event, which lasted for several hours.

One of the people who saw the spectacle said: "It was amazing to see 102 tractors pass through Mottisfont.

"We didn’t know they were coming through the village but my wife and I saw them while walking our dog along Oakley Road.

"The convoy must have stretched well over a mile.

"We're used to seeing tractors every day but not a huge convoy. I don’t think I will see anything like that again. It was really spectacular."

Alex Drake, chairman of Romey Young Farmers, said the tractor run was likely to become an annual event.

One of the people who took to social media to congratulate him added: "Well done in organising such a fantastic event.

"We all had a great day and can’t believe it raised such a lot of money - will definitely be at the next one.

"You might need a bigger farmyard as I suspect there will be a lot more tractors next time."