MORE than 50 handcuffed pairs met at HMP Liverpool at Walton yesterday to embark on “The Great Escape’ to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support.

They were blindfolded and driven on an Arriva bus to Lytham St Annes, and had to make their way back home to a Liverpool pub with no map or money. Dressed in an Emu costume, Rob Gregory and pirate escape-partner Seb Farrell, who raised more than £600, decided to take a more adventurous route home.

Their route involved a stint in a rowing boat across a lake, a horse and carriage and two trains.

Darren Gilligan, landlord of The Picture House pub, which hosted the welcome home buffet, came third with his escape-partner Adam Hall.

Wearing bright green Macmillan T-shirts, the pair were dropped off at 11.25am and made it back to the pub by 3.25pm.

They managed to talk their way onto buses to Blackpool, Preston, Wigan and Crewe before being dropped off at Lime Street Station.

Mr Gilligan said: “We won it last year so we were hoping to retain our title.

“We’ve raised over £500, and it’s for a great cause because everyone knows someone or friends or family who’ve suffered with cancer.”