Superheroes at a Watford-based telecoms company smashed the £1,000 target they hoped to raise for Comic Relief with their caped charity capers.

GCI – formerly Freedom Communications – in Tolpits Lane said it would donate £1 to the poverty fighting charity for every outbound call workers made on Thursday, ahead of Friday’s enormous nationwide fundraising drive, which raised nearly £100m in 2015.

Employees exceeded expectations by raising £2,500 - more than double what they had aimed to achieve. 

Senior executives dressed in full superhero get-up to match their heroic efforts, while the 70-strong workforce donned facemasks for the occasion.

Technology giant Microsoft backed the event with prizes and an expert parachuted in from its Reading office.