Drivers donated more than £900 after 15 firefighters spent Saturday hosing and scrubbing cars at Rushden Fire Station.

One motorist handed over £250.

The money raised will be split between the firefighters’ National Benevolent Fund, which supports fire service personnel and their dependants, and the Aaron Goss Fund, which is raising money for Ecuador firefighters in memory of the Wollaston schoolboy who lost his life during a school trip last summer.

Station manager Calvin Sherwood said: “We had a good turnout all day and were certainly kept busy.

“Including the fundraisers we’ve held in the past, we hope to have given at least £1,500 to the Aaron Goss Fund, which has benefited firefighters in Ecuador tremendously.

“We want to say a particular thank-you to one driver who gave us £250 for cleaning his car, and to all the drivers who gave so generously. We hope they are enjoying their clean cars.”

Driver Matthew Charlton, 18, brought his Corsa Sport in for a clean.

He said: “I gave the car a clean last week but it was ready for another clean and it’s for a great cause.

“They’ve done a top job – it was worth every penny.”

During the cleaning operation Dawn Whittaker, assistant chief officer for Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue, popped in to present the firefighters with a certificate congratulating the county force for raising more than £40,500 for the benevolent fund over the last year, of which the Rushden branch contributed about £28,000.

Mrs Whittaker said: “This has been a tremendous amount of money raised, with so many people, such as widows of firefighters, benefiting directly from the fundraising efforts.”