Daring fundraisers who abseiled from the roof of an Oxford hospital have raised £44,000 for a new cancer treatment centre.

The 100ft abseil in April, from the roof of the women's centre at the John Radcliffe was in aid of the Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals Cancer Campaign.

The Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals Trust is investing £109m to create the purpose-built centre on the Churchill Hospital site in Headington.

The 217-bed centre will make a huge difference to Oxfordshire's cancer patients when it opens later this year, replacing the current outdated facilities and bringing specialist staff together under one roof.

A fundraising campaign has been launched to raise an additional £2m, to provide extra features and equipment beyond the limited NHS budget.

ORH fundraising manager Janet Sprake said £37,000 had already been handed in and added: "We asked all the participants on the day how much they thought they'd raised and it came to an amazing £44,000.

"Now the money is coming in, many people are exceeding their estimates and we would like to say a big thank-you to everyone who took part or supported the event."

Graham Brogden, head of community fundraising, added: "We were truly overwhelmed by the response to the inaugural Cancer Campaign abseil.

"The event was full a couple of weeks in advance, with over 150 people taking in the challenge.

"All sorts of people took part aged from 18 to 88 - nursing staff, patients and family and friends of loved ones lost to cancer or undergoing treatment."

Friends and colleagues took part in teams, including members of the ORH relocation team, who are managing the construction of the new centre.

Anu Basra, development officer for the hospitals, added: "It was a great feeling - I've never felt so scared and excited at the same time doing anything before in my life."

To find out more about the campaign, or to donate, call 01865 743444 or go to www.cancercentreoxon.nhs.uk