By Alan Smith

ajsmith@thekmgroup.co.uk

CRAZY antics and silly costumes galore helped boost Red Nose Day donations to record levels.

Invicta House in Maidstone acted as a regional call centre for Friday's nationwide televised appeal. Ninety volunteers manned the phones and took calls collecting more than £125,000 in donations. A further 40 volunteers fed the troops and gave verbal encouragment. Andrew James, one of the operators, said: "It went remarkably smoothly - no technical hitches at all, which was our big worry."

Comedian Joe Pasquale, who lives in Rochester, joined the volunteers, taking calls and cracking jokes. Mr James said: "It was a fantastic atmosphere - and Joe was great." Mr Pasquale said: "They did a great job. I was pleased to lend a hand."

Schoolchildren played a big part in the fundraising: pupils at Park Way Primary went to school in wacky glasses; children at St James the Great wore silly shoes; the youngsters at Leybourne Pre-school went for a sponsored walk around their village, and staff at Maidstone Grammar School went dressed in inflatable sumo suits.

At Barming Primary, head teacher Robin Halls swopped roles with his pupils. He joined the lessons and 10-year-old Amber Robinson took over as head. He said: "It was great fun and I now know my place, as everyone says they want Amber back as head."

Businesses did their bit: Sainsburys in Aylesford held a fancy dress party, while staff from Whitehead Monckton solictors found all sorts of ways to do laps of the Mall Chequers Centre to complete a 20km marathon, including jumping on space-hoppers and racing with an egg and spoon. Members of the Topaz Community went for a more glamourous approach, with a party and disco at the Liquid and Envy nighclub, while Scott Slade found probably the most painful way of raising cash with an all-over body wax at the hands of staff from the Pure salon at Newnham Court.

Fran Butler, 69, led the Ringlestone Line-dancing troupe, which includes two ladies in their 70s, through their dance routines outside County Hall, and collected £25 in donations from passers-by.

But undoubtedly the most bizarre event of the day was the men's pole-dancing competition at Mumus club in Maidstone.

Julian Emby of Pole Secrets said: "It was a great laugh. We had seven male volunteers on the poles and held a kind of pole dance-off."

Paul Homewood was judged the ultimate winner. The event raised £650.

Across the country, the appeal raised a record £74m for Comic Relief.

See this week's Kent Messenger for more pictures. Out Friday, 80p.