SUPPORTIVE members of the community lined up outside a police station to be arrested in order to raise money for a hospice.

St Luke’s Hospice in Kenton Lane, Kenton, held its annual Jail and Bail event on Friday, raising nearly £20,000 from key figures in Harrow and Brent.

Volunteers were thrown in the slammer at Pinner Police Station in Waxwell Lane, Pinner, and forced to call around contacts using their mobile telephones to secure a minimum £1,000 in pledges to earn their freedom from their cell.

Reporter Caitlin Black was live Tweeting from the event as the cellmates were 'arrested', charged and locked in their cell.

Read her report here:

The officers began by making up funny stories for grounds to arrest each fundraiser.

Kathleen O’Connor, 66, of Preston Hill, Harrow, is a St Luke’s supporter and used to work as a carer for Brent Social Services. She was brought in for supposedly being caught stealing over £200 worth of ‘saucy underwear’.

She said afterwards: “It’s a wonderful experience, quite fun.

“I do a lot for charity and for St Luke’s.

“I always do their Midnight Walks but this is great. I have raised nearly £700.”

Sergeant Roni Doyle was the officer who processed all of the detainees alongside Special Constables Rob Harrild, Rhiannon Hines and Nick Garner.

London Assembly member for Brent and Harrow Councillor Navin Shah was among the people ‘arrested’.

He raised more than £2,000 and said: “It was a bit terrifying. The process we went through does make you feel like you have committed a crime, it’s really real.

“I am delighted to be participating again in this event because St Luke’s Hospice is a local charity providing unique and the best quality expert palliative care service.”

CB Patel, 77, from Hackney, east London, is the editor of the Asian Voice newspaper.

He said: “The cause it so worthwhile and it’s a great fundraising idea.

“I have raised over £1,000 through my readers, which I am really pleased about.

“The experience was interesting, it made me feel like I was a criminal.

“It was definitely a learning process. I really enjoyed it.”

St Luke’s looks after people with cancer and other serious progressive illnesses, such as motor neurone disease and heart, lung and kidney failure, they care for the incurable in Harrow and Brent.

Graham Bucklan, whose wife is a trustee of the charity, was the first volunteer to go through the process.

The 57 year-old, who lives in Hatch End and has resided in the borough for more than 50 years, said: “St Luke’s is very close to my heart as a close family friend of mine went to the hospice. They do such good work.

“The experience was quite daunting but I really enjoyed it.”