THEY nearly got arrested by Italian police along the way.

But a group of friends from Hepworth’s Honda dealership made it all the way to Rome in a clapped-out banger.

Husband and wife Stephen and Nicky Brighton joined their friends Nigel and Kathryn Tyson on the five-day road trip to raise money for Overgate Hospice in Elland.

Stephen, 45, runs the Hepworth car showroom and chose to raise money for the Hullenedge Road hospice.

Stephen told the Examiner the Ripponden team didn’t expect to win the Home to Rome challenge – and a cool thousand pounds for the charity.

But the trip didn’t run smoothly all the way from Calais to the Italian capital.

On day four, the friends were nearly foiled by Italian cops.

Father-of-two Stephen told the Examiner: “We had a different challenge to complete every day.

“On the fourth day we had to dress up as The Stig from Top Gear and carry one of our spare wheels into St Mark’s Square in Venice for a photo.”

Stephen said Italian police officers weren’t too happy with them and threatened to arrest them if they didn’t move on.

Stephen said: “If you can imagine what The Stig looks like we must have seemed a bit strange standing in the square dressed in white suits and helmets.

“I think they thought we were nuclear protesters.”

But the team managed to get a quick snap to prove they’d completed the challenge and then drove on to Rome.

Stephen said: “It wasn’t a race to Rome. We won because we had a go at all the challenges that were set each day.

“We did the whole trip for fun and a bit of a laugh.

“And we thought it’d be great to raise some money for a good cause along the way.”

Stephen said he would recommend the 2,250 mile drive to anyone up for the challenge.

He said: “It’s a great holiday experience.

“You can raise money for a good cause and you don’t have to climb a mountain or cycle from Land’s End to John O’Groats.

“And it’s fantastic when you’re driving through the beautiful countryside – stopping for lunch in Florence and then tea in Rome.”

Stephen and his wife Nicky, a graphic designer, Nigel, a pilot, and Kathryn, a lecturer, will hand over their winnings to the Elland hospice.

The group have also raised an extra £530 from sponsorship.

And, after the challenge, Nigel drove the 18-year-old banger all the way back to Huddersfield.