The BBC's annual charity extravaganza Children in Need looks set to top last year's record-breaking event.

By the end of the seven-hour telethon more than £13 million had been raised, but organisers are hopeful of breaking last year's total of £25m.

The final amount raised will not be announced until April.

Workers across Sussex lost their inhibitions to muck in as they rolled around in custard, bared their chests and donned drag for charity.

Fund-raising events were held in schools, offices and shops and, when the working day was over, pubs and restaurants took over and did their bit too.

Large yellow Pudsey bears stalked the county, lurking outside supermarkets and waving collecting buckets at passers-by.

At the Katarina Beefeater, Brighton Marina, employees Kelly Killian and Rachel Coates braved the cold to sit in a paddling pool for six hours. The pool was filled with wallpaper paste and colleagues enhanced the experience further by throwing flour at regular intervals.

A builder known only as Dave raised about £400 with a sponsored chest wax and male members of staff dressed in drag for their evening shift.

At Balfour Junior School in Brighton pupils made a giant mosaic of Pudsey in the playground and filled it with coins. Together with a sale of cakes and biscuits baked by pupils, the school raised hundreds of pounds.

At Asda's Brighton Marina store, staff took part in a variety of stunts, including sitting in a bath of custard and holding a 24-hour exercise bike marathon.

Employee Darren Woolgar was sponsored to have his first haircut in 17 years while a female member of staff raised £500 by having her head shaved.

Various companies in the Marina Village took part in a tug of war.

Butcher Andy Bates, from Newhaven, raised £300 when he agreed to say goodbye to his foot-long ponytail and exchange it for a shaved head.

Asda in Hollingbury, Brighton, raised almost £4,000 with a week of activities. Yesterday staff threw custard pies at managers and released more than 100 helium balloons in a sponsored race. Yet more chest hair was shaved and personnel manager Darren Evans shaved his head.

Staff at HSBC bank in North Street, Brighton, raised money with raffles, fancy dress and games for everyone.

In Worthing, staff from Sussex Training Group pulled on wacky clothes to collect money in the town centre while pupils from across Brighton and Hove disco-danced for three hours at the Red Cross Centre in Rottingdean.

In Hove, Year 3 children at Goldstone Primary School raised £100 by managing to stay quiet for one hour.