STAFF at Bullingdon Prison have raised more than £8,000 for a colleague's son whose leg was blown off in Afghanistan.

Private Patrick Burns, of 3rd Battalion The Parachute Regiment, narrowly escaped with his life after stepping on a bomb buried in the ground in January because the main part of the explosive did not detonate.

Although the bottom half of his right leg had to be amputated in the field, the talented rugby player hopes to be return to his regiment on the frontline after adapting to life with a new prosthetic limb.

On Wednesday 38 colleagues of his mum – HMP Bullingdon senior officer Diane Limb – cycled 50 miles from the prison to Coventry to raise money for The Parachute Regiment charity, The Afghanistan Trust, and to help adapt Pte Burns’ home in Bicester.

They raised between £8,000 and £10,000.

Organiser Mike Stooks said: “Di works in the office next to me, and we knew Pat because he came to play rugby for the prison. He was a very talented player, and probably would have played for the Army when he came back off his tour of duty. When we had heard what had happened to him in January, it galvanised us into action, and we started thinking about what we could do to support him.

“There are a lot of ex-forces people working at the prison, but also a lot of people who knew Di and Pat.”

He said: “The bike ride went fantastically.

“The weather couldn’t have been better.

“Everyone made it, and there wasn’t even much groaning along the way.

“Pat was there to see us off and at the end of the ride, and it was the first time I had seen him since his injury.

“He’s a really, really positive lad, with a great outlook on life.”

Mrs Limb said: “All my colleagues at the prison have given fantastic support.

“It has helped me hugely. I can’t put into words what people have done and what this has brought out in people.”

Pte Burns, 24, is receiving a new prosthetic limb this week, and hopes to return to the frontline to complete his tour, resume playing and coaching rugby, and take up mountain biking.