RADIO 1 DJ Chris Moyles got the Comic Relief fundraising marathon off to a world record start yesterday morning, raising £2.4m by staying on air for 52 hours.

The star began his broadcast with sidekick Comedy Dave Vitty on Wednesday morning and finally came off air at 10.30am yesterday.

He signed off after 52 hours by thanking listeners for their “amazing generosity”.

The pair set the record for Radio DJ Endurance Marathon (Team).

Later, the Government pledged £10m to the cause as Prime Minister David Cameron appeared in a BBC MasterChef skit.

In the North-East and North Yorkshire, thousands of people joined the fundraising effort.

At Hurworth School, near Darlington, pupils and staff showed off their music and dancing skills to raise £680.

Fifteen acts performed for their classmates and colleagues at a Let’s Dance show.

The finale of the show was teaching staff performing song and dance routines to The Shangri-Las’ Leader of the Pack and the Seventies song Pop Muzik.

Clare Suddes, head of art, said: “It’s been a really good day, everybody got into the spirit of things.”

At Darlington’s Mount Pleasant Primary School, children paid £1 to have their hair cut in a wacky manner, raising nearly £130.

Elsewhere in Darlington, residents and staff at the Tees Valley YMCA “travelled” the 245 miles to the Olympic Stadium using exercise bikes, rowing machines and cross trainers.

At the town’s Cornmill centre a booth was set up where people could tell their favourite jokes, some of which were due to be played on BBC television and radio.

Heighington school pupil Jamie Barr, ten, raised more than £100 by running the 5.5 miles to school from his home in Faverdale.

On Teesside, Skelton parish priest Reverend Valerie Haynes had her head shaved after watching a documentary highlighting the plight of young children in Kenyan slums.

She said: “In a moment of madness, I suggested they could shave my head – the words were barely out of my mouth when they had the sponsorship forms and posters out.”

In North Yorkshire, visitors to York Dungeon had the chance to volunteer to have their noses painted in fake blood in exchange for a donation.

Meanwhile, Peter Simpson, chief executive of Hambleton and Richmondshire district council, cycled between the two authorities’ head offices.

In County Durham, three adjoining schools came together.

Pupils of Belmont Church of England Junior School, Belmont Infant School and the adjoining secondary school raised more than £500 during the day.

Junior school headteacher Debra Murphy said: “All the juniors and infants came to school dressed as clowns.

There were some very imaginative costumes.”

Male shopworkers at the Durham branch of Sainsbury’s endured the pain of a back and leg wax.

Store manager Russell Walker said: “It’s for a great cause and as these brave volunteers know, no pain, no gain.”

Durham University staff held a fancy dress day, with members of staff coming to work dressed as everything from a camel to Tina Turner.

Despite working as a manager at Brancepeth Castle Golf Club, Marie Flory had never played the game until yesterday, when she got into the swing of things for Comic Relief. She managed a creditable score of six on the first hole and raised £500 in sponsorship into the bargain.

The fundraising fun continues today when a team of sporty police officers from Stanley will take part in a Boot Camp Challenge at Consett.

Representatives from all the emergency services will take part in a Comic Relief challenge, which involves using muscle power to pull a fire engine down a course and racing in riot gear.

The event takes place at 10am at Derwentside College, then again at 3pm at Tesco, in Delves Lane.

At Bowes Hutchinson Primary School, in Bowes, Teesdale, youngsters raised £204 by ditching their uniforms in favour of red attire, selling cakes and face painting.

Passengers boarding the JSB buses operating around Bishop Auckland could be forgiven for doing a double take as the male drivers dressed as women for the day.

Meanwhile, students at Sedgefield Community College raised more than £1,000 with a variety of fundraising events.

A group of teenagers with special educational needs raised more than £75.

The youngsters attending Special Needs Alternative Provision (Snap) at the Framwellgate Community Centre, in Front Street, Framwellgate, offered a car washing service for the day.

Snap team leader Stephen Gilling said: “Today’s event was something they asked to do and generated themselves.”