A super-fit team of firefighters from Oxfordshire has triumphed in a gruelling race to climb the highest mountains in England, Scotland and Wales.

The six climbers from Kidlington, Banbury and Woodstock took just under 16 hours to scale Ben Nevis in the Scottish Highlands, Scafell Pike in the Lake District and Snowdon in Wales.

And they beat 65 other teams taking part in a national sub 24-hour Three Peaks Challenge.

Kidlington firefighter Gary Crone, 37, said: "We've entered a team for the last six years and have managed to do it in progressively quicker times.

"But this was our fastest ever time and the first time we have actually won the event."

Fellow firefighter Andy Smallwood, 34, added: "You don't get to see many of the sights, the weather was terrible and it was freezing at the summits - but it was good fun.

"You get a real sense of achievement when you finish."

Things went well on the first mountain, Ben Nevis.

Having started at 7.55pm, the climbers got to the summit and back in two hours and 20 minutes.

There then followed a six-hour drive to the Lake District in a minibus, arriving at Scafell Pike at 4.30am.

A tough climb to the summit inside an hour, followed by a rapid descent in just 38 minutes, put the team in the top three placings with just Snowdon to scale.

It took less than an hour to reach the summit of Snowdon, where the epic race finally came to an end and the team confirmed their first place.

The victors consisted of firefighters Andy Smallwood, Mick Dunn, Mike Swadling and Gary Crone from Kidlington, Simon Piper from Banbury, and Andrew Dubowski from Woodstock, who also acted as team physio.

The team's drivers were Tony Druce from Kidlington and Dave Bull from Leafield.

County councillor Judith Heathcoat, cabinet member for community safety, said: "Their efforts are a shining example of teamwork and confirm the fitness and dedication of our firefighters in Oxfordshire."