A RECORD £15,297 was raised in donations at this year's Great Dorset Steam Fair.

Many visitors to the fair's heavy haulage arena opted for the chance to get close up and personal with the steam engines in exchange for a donation, being towed around on a trailer beside and behind the exhibits.

The money, raised by these visitors to the event earlier this month (SEPT), will be split between Macmillan Cancer Support and the Alfie O’Neill Cerebral Palsy fund.

Fair managing director Martin Oliver thanked the visitors for their generosity, the enginemen who gave their time to support the charities and also the event helpers.

"We are incredibly grateful for all those who worked tirelessly to deliver such a wonderful achievement," he said.

"The Great Dorset Steam Fair will be donating £10,877 to Macmillan Cancer Support and £4,420 to The Alfie O’Neill Cerebral Palsy Treatment Fund.

"We look forward to helping more worthy charities at next year's event."

The donation cheques will be presented at The Coppleridge, Motcombe, on Sunday, October 11, at 1pm.

The Great Dorset Steam Fair, covering 600 acres of land near Tarrant Hinton, ran from September 2-6 with more than 60 showman's engines, 250 vintage tractors and 100 military vehicles included among the exhibits.

More than 200,000 people visit every year from the UK and around the world.

The Alfie O’Neill Cerebral Palsy Treatment Fund is raising funds for a seven-year-old boy who was born prematurely and suffers from cerebral palsy.

Alfie uses a wheelchair, however to help improve his mobility in May last year he underwent a Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy operation, which is not available on the NHS and was fully funded by donations.

He now requires intense physiotherapy to ensure the operation is a success.

To find out more about the charities visit macmillan.org.uk or look up the Alfie O’Neill Cerebral Palsy Treatment Fund on Facebook.