Cheddar's bowler hat postman completes one of the toughest races on earth and raises £6,000

A postman from Cheddar, who is famous for wearing a bowler hat, has completed one of the toughest races on the planet, and raised £6,000 for charity in the process.

Ian Maclachlan ran the 251km Marathon des Sables, along with fellow local runner Chris Hewett, to raise money for Hounds for Heroes, a charity that provides assistance dogs for disabled military and emergency service personnel.

Ian, who is the World Bog Snorkelling Champion for the over-50s, took on the epic in Southern Morocco this month after it was postponed earlier this year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

He was attempting to raise £2,000 for the charity but, along with Chris, has already raised more than £6,000 with donations still coming in.

Ian chose the charity because he has strong links to the armed forces, having served in the Royal Air Force from 2005 to 2009, and his son-in-law is a retained firefighter, plus Chris is an NHS paramedic.

You can still donate to Chris and Ian's fundraising, via the JustGiving page here.