About 200 people, some dressed as players from the game, raced each other around London on Saturday to try to visit as many of the board-game landmarks as possible.

Guest of honour at the race was Professor Michael Foot, who during World War II gave POWs specially made sets to help them "get out of jail free".

Lord Jeffrey Archer launched the race

They were sent to French war camps, supposedly to help prisoners cope with the frustration of captivity, but really containing secret maps, compasses and even local currency to help them escape.

Prof Foot, 79, of Royston, Herts, said: "Being a prisoner of war is dreadfully dull, as I know from personal experience. So people would send you card sets, draughts games and Monopoly as a comfort.

"But sometimes, if you prised open the top of the game, you might find something like a silk map of France."

Soakings and electric chairs

More than 50 years later, the third Monopoly Live event, organised by the Royal British Legion, was expected to raise �10,000 for ex-servicemen and women.

It was launched by London mayoral hopeful Lord Jeffrey Archer from Kings' Cross station, from where many of the games were sent out during the war.

Eighty-two teams raced against the clock to visit locations such as Old Kent Road, The Angel, Islington and Mayfair, before meeting at the end of the day at Pall Mall.

Along the way, they faced on-the-spot challenges such as a soaking, to represent the Water Works, and a visit to the 'electric chair' at the Electric Company.