PRISONERS will be preparing to run free in Worcesershire as a hugely-successful fund-raising event that earned its organisers top honours from the Queen returns to the area.

Jail-break ran for 10 years until 2000 and in that time raised £1m for charity.

Organisers Ron Davis and Gren Smith - officers with Hereford Police - were both awarded the MBE in recognition of their hard work and dedication.

The charity event involved 160 people in teams of four being bussed to a secret location somewhere in the country before being left to find their way back to base in Hereford with no money using only their wits and guile.

Now it has been reborn thanks to Malvern resident Philip Smith who decided to try his hand at organising the event after taking part four times previously.

He also aimed to hold it in memory of a friend - Christopher Gibbs, of Oakfield Road, Malvern - who took part himself previously and planned to join again but sadly died earlier this year. Mr Smith said: "I was always thinking about doing a small one but then I rang Ron and Gren and they said, 'Why don't you do the whole thing?'

"It's such a good idea and they only packed it up because they've done 10 years of it so it seemed ideal. The atmosphere on the day is just superb considering you'd think everybody would be scared to death as they're going to a strange place and haven't got any money."

Mr Smith, who previously worked at QinetiQ, has joined forces with fellow Malvern-resident John-James Horsley, of Lower Howsell Road, to organise a jail-break for next year.

This time around the jailbreak will be staged on Sunday, July 15, 2007, and Mr Smith hopes to attract 55 teams of four.

Participants have to pay an entry fee of £60 per team and also raise as much sponsorship as possible. Money raised will go the event's chosen charities - the County Air Ambulance, the Macmillan Nurses and Hereford and Worcester Animal Rescue.

Anyone interested in entering can e-mail the organisers at: jailbreak2007 @aol.com