WOMEN from police stations in St Albans, Harpenden and London Colney will be swapping Panda cars for trainers to raise money for cancer relief.

About 30 serving officers and civilian staff will be joining forces with female runners on Sunday, July 30, to take part in the Imperial Cancer Research Fund's Race For Life.

The force's response was organised by Inspector Veronica Singleton who said the team would be wearing their special T-shirts for easy identification around the 5km route.

The St Albans Race For Life in Verulamium Park is expected to attract an estimated 1,500 women runners who will raise around £60,000.

The St Albans race is one of 61 taking place across the country this year, that are expected to raise a total of £4m for research into cancers that affect women.

Now in its seventh year, the race has gone from attracting just 680 entrants to an estimated 120,000 - the same number of women who are diagnosed with cancer every year.

Projects funded by the race in the past include:

runderstanding mechanisms of breast cancer

rstudies into genes that increase a woman's chance of developing breast cancer

rand studies aimed identifying people with a high risk of developing cancer.

The race is also aimed at encouraging women to get fitter. A survey conducted by the fund revealed that half of British women feel they are not doing enough exercise, and those that start do not keep it up.

It showed that 43 per cent of women were intimidated or embarrassed by gyms and 46 per cent said they need a lot of incentive to exercise.

To take part in Race for Life, call the entry hotline 08705 134314.