THE leader of Darlington Borough Council and a college principal have become the latest people to face the ice bucket challenge to raise funds for a hospital caring for a seriously ill student.

Councillor Bill Dixon and Mauran Regan, principal of Carmel College, in Darlington, had gallons of ice cold water dumped on their heads by students at the college, watched with glee by the rest of the student bod.y

The pair raised £2,000 with the challenge, which will be divided between the town’s food bank network and the RVI Hospital, in Newcastle, where staff are caring for a 14-year-old student from the college who was suddenly taken ill with a serious illness.

Miss Regan and Cllr Dixon were nominated by Cyndi Hughes, chairman of the college’s directors and the council’s lead member for children and young people.

Cllr Dixon said: “I would like to thank Cyndi for nominating me – but I do feel there could be a cabinet reshuffle in the air!

“I would like to nominate our MP Jenny Chapman to endure the ice bucket challenge.”

Miss Regan said: “This is one of those occasions where you feel compelled to take part in such a challenge – it will be the only ice bucket challenge to be held in the school – and as chairman of the Catholic Schools Partnership I will be nominating all the Heads to have a go.”

Miss Regan told students that this was the one and only occasion when they could take their mobile phones out to video and all students were eager to oblige.