Eight prominent members of the local community were sent behind bars in an effort to raise money for a local charity.

This year's Jail and Bail event , organised by charity St Luke's Hospice , which looks after people with incurable illnesses in Brent and Harrow .

All eight prisoners could only be released after raising their £1,000 bail target.

The local community figures were arrested and locked up in a prison cell at Pinner police station on Friday March 11 in an effort to raise money for their local hospice.

St Luke’s detainees were given the full prisoner experience, they were hand cuffed, dressed in prison overalls and interrogated by local police officers before being escorted to a prison cell.

Last year, 12 Jail and Bail detainees raised a total of £14,000 .

Community 'prisoners' locked up and made to raise money included Labour councillor Navin Shah, Anton Georgiou, Lib Dem candidate in the upcoming GLA elections and Reverend Steve Morris of St Cuthbert's Church.

The prisoners were allowed access to a phone to help raise their £1,000 ‘bail fee’, with the group collectively raising a total of £8,000.

Les Conway, Chairman of Pinner and Northwood Business Club, was one of the unfortunate detainees.

Les said: “I was volunteered to take part by the Pinner and Northwood Business Club. It was awful! I felt as though my Human rights were borderline violated.

“Eight of us cramped in a cell with nothing but a collapsing camp bed for company, I wanted to get out as quickly as I could.

“It was very spontaneous but I’m very glad I did, raising money for such a great local cause.”