CYCLISTS often wear fluorescent colours to make sure passing drivers see them.

But there will be no mistaking this group of bikers dressed in their bright yellow T-shirts and cow-like trousers.

The vets from Swindon's Drove Veterinary Hospital aim to raise awareness and money for national charity Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution (RABI).

Veterinary staff Rupert Hibberd, Peter May, Andrew Turkington, Kate Brodie, Janet Blikmans, Kim Crofts and Toni Stevens will be cycling 55 miles from Swindon to Hook Norton on Sunday in fancy dress. It is part of a scheme the practice belongs to called XL Vets.

The hospital is one of 29 practices all over the country which are members of the organisation and, in the next few weeks, vets from all these practices will be cycling to neighbouring practices and raising money for RABI.

The vets from the Drove Hospital are cycling to the nearest XL practice, the Hook Norton Veterinary Surgeons, near Banbury.

Kate Brodie, 34, one of the farm vets at the hospital, said: "We all preparing for the big event, getting our bikes ready and seeing what it's like to cycle in these bright colours. Hopefully we won't cause a major incident on the roads."

Original plans would have seen the team towing a full-size fibreglass cow, but it was decided that it probably wouldn't survive the trip intact. Cuddly toy cows will be sat on the back of the bicycles instead.