When Town Mayor was kidnapped in 1988

The stunt was staged by members of Biggleswade Ladies Circle in aid of BBC’s Children in Need. The Mayor had been enjoying a visit to the Brownies’ Christmas bazaar at St Andrew’s Church Hall when she was seized and a ransom note left in her place demanding money for the BBC appeal.

She was then carted off for a nice cuppa.

However, Miss Royal British Legion, Diane McFarlane-Clark didn’t fare as well. Abducted from under the noses of French visitors in Sandy, she was hurt when her kidnappers bundled her a bit too enthusiastically into their car.

“I suffer from tennis elbow” she explained. “And after the kidnap I had to go and see a specialist about it. It was very very sore.”

She was not too disgruntled however, as she was later able to hand over £1,300 to poppy appeal organisers at a ball held in Sandy Upper School.