Fitness fanatics at a north Swindon gym will complete five hours of punishing martial arts moves, as they aim to raise £5,000 for charity.

The group of 35 participants, guided by four instructors, will take part in a five-hour Combatathon at the DW Fitness First Gym in the Orbital retail park from 9am on Saturday.

Fitness trainer Natalie Burt, 29, who is part of the group leading the class, said: "This is our ninth year that we’ve completed the event, the Combatathon.

"Over the years, it’s increased in the length of time that we’ve done it – this year it’s five hours.

"The event consists of karate, taekwondo, muay thai, and it’s all choreographed to music. Normally, we’d only do that for one hour, so it’s quite a challenge.

The chosen charity is one which is close to Natalie's heart, she said: "I work as a first aid trainer, and it’s one of those things where you’ll never know when you need it.

"I had to give CPR earlier this year, and for me, it shows just how important it is."

Since they started operating their own dedicated air ambulance in January 2015, the Wiltshire Air Ambulance requires £3.25m a year to keep flying.

With over £1,700 already pledged for the high-energy challenge, once this year's event is concluded, thoughts are already turning to the next edition.

Natalie said: "My aim is to get to the 10th year of doing it – I’ve done it every year so far."