MORE than £40,000 has been raised for the Cancer Research charity by people in the Isle of Man.

Last week the Isle of Man Relay for Life fundraising team handed over the money to a representative from Cancer Research UK.

In August more than 400 residents took part in a Relay for Life event which saw 30 fundraising teams gather at the NSC to spend 24 hours doing a walking relay.

Cancer survivors and the Mayor and Mayoress of Douglas started the event by leading the teams on their first lap around the track. 

The Isle of Man Relay for Life team excelled their fundraising expectations after being told it was likely they would raise between £15,000 and £20,000.

Emma Watson, Cancer Research UK relay development executive, said: "I was amazed when I heard about how much the Isle of Man Relay had raised in its first year. This is a fantastic achievement and the money will make a real difference in the battle to beat cancer."

Gaynor Haxby, chairman of the event organising committee, said: "We were overwhelmed by the amount of support given. Once again the people of the Isle of Man have shown how our community can pull out all of the stops when it comes to raising funds for a worthy cause exceeding all expectations."

Next year's event will take place on Saturday, August 27.