THREE runaway brides were seen racing out of Chester competing to win a free dream wedding day and a seven night honeymoon cruise worth more than £7,000, courtesy of Macdonald Craxton Wood Hotel.

The wedding venue at Ledsham chose the three finalists following a public vote launched through Dee 106.3 FM.

The bridal belles were tasked to get as far away from Chester as possible and return by 5pm the same day.

Laura Morris from Blacon, Emma Burton from Ellesmere Port, and Helen Smith from Saltney set off through the city streets at 7am with no money, no help and wearing their wedding dress.

The runaway brides pleaded for train tickets, bus tickets, hire cars and even tried to hop in the back of a Royal Mail van for a lift.

They caused quite a stir throughout the country, racing around and willing to beg and borrow to win the wedding of their dreams.

At the end of the exhausting day, the winner, Emma Burton, sprinted over the finish line with just eight minutes to spare, having made it to South London and back.

Helen Smith arrived back just 10 minutes too late after bagging a lift to Scotland. Laura Morris was the first to cross the finish line but had travelled the shortest distance, to Wigan.

After travelling a staggering 218 miles Emma Burton and her partner Steve Ward from Ellesmere Port will enjoy a well deserved wedding day with their friends and family at the luxurious grounds of the Macdonald Craxton Wood Hotel, followed by a seven night cruise to the Caribbean, Europe, the African coast or even Alaska.

Cassandra Forshaw, regional sales manager of Macdonald Craxton Wood Hotel, said: “Each finalist did really well and they all deserved this chance to win a wedding of their dreams.

“The public had a tough decision to choose the final three and we are now so happy for Emma and her partner Steve.”

Cassandra added: “We will be pulling out all the stops to make their big day a truly memorable experience from start to finish.”

Emma said: ”I’m so excited to have won, it was such a tough challenge on but I gave it my best shot.”