ABOUT 350 people walked the beaches from L’Ancresse to Portelet yesterday to raise money for the Mines Awareness Trust. The Heritage Beach Walk was taking place for the first time but organisers plan to make it an annual event.

Group financial controller Mike Carter said he was pleased with the turnout and hoped that between £12,000 and £15,000 would be raised.

‘Next year we will probably do something a bit different and split the route into three parts so that people can bring their children,’ he said.

Some chose to walk with their dogs, and buses were provided to take people from the finish back to Pembroke.

Probably the youngest walker on the route was a two-year-old boy who was planning to walk as far as Rousse. A three-year-old girl was also involved.

Mr Carter said the distance of some 12.5 miles [20km] equated to something more like 16 miles if the extra effort needed to walk on sand was taken into account. Walkers diverted on to the coastal path where necessary.

Most set out at about 8.30am but the organisers, who had allowed between four and six hours for it to be completed, were caught out by the speed of some of the finishers.

‘It was astonishing because we did not expect people to be here until 1.15pm but the first person arrived at 11.45am,’ said Mr Carter.

It was appropriate, he said, for the Heritage Group to have given its support to the event.

‘The group has a large international client base and the Mines Awareness Trust is flying the flag for Guernsey so we thought it was a good thing to do.’

Volunteers from the group had helped organise the event in their spare time and Mr Carter thanked them for their efforts.

Ben Remfrey, the operations director and founder of the trust, was among those taking part.

Kate Dunning, 27, and Estelle Vowles, 34, walked together and they completed the distance in just under five hours. They said they tried to take part in one or two charity events each year.

‘This is a new one so we just thought we’d give it a go,’ said Ms Dunning.

Ms Vowles said the hardest part had been near the end.

‘We enjoyed it but the worst part was the shingle bank at L’Eree which was really hard going,’ she said. ‘Other than that it was fine and the weather was perfect.’

Sheila Mauger, 57, walked with her daughter-in-law, Michelle Bourgaize, 33. They hoped to raise between £500 and £600 between them.

‘Walking on the shingle bank was the hardest as your feet seemed to disappear into it,’ said Mrs Mauger. ‘I think we’ll be feeling it tomorrow.’