Seaton town councillor Eric Bowman and his partner Laila will be raising funds for Cancer Research UK this month by travelling from John O'Groats to Land's End in a fully electric car.

The couple will be hiring an environmentally-friendly, fully electric BMW i3 for the self-funded trip, which will get underway this Thursday.

The journey from Scotland to Cornwall is expected to take 12 days as the electric car will only allow them to travel 150 miles a day.

The couple decided to take on the challenge in honour of Eric's mum Elsie, aged 94, and her friends who have worked tirelessly since 1981 to raise £350,000 for Cancer Research UK through coffee mornings, dances, fashion shows, hanging dedicated baubles on Christmas trees, and shaking tins in and around Eric's hometown of Durham in all weathers.

This year, due to COVID restrictions, they have not been able to hold their usual fundraising events so Eric and Laila, who moved to Seaton in 2013, are hoping to boost their funds and have already raised £830 through online donations.

They are hoping to raise £1 for every mile of the 873-mile journey, so are well on their way to reaching the target.

Becky Trout, Cancer Research UK's relationship manager for Somerset & Dorset, said: "We are absolutely delighted that Eric and Laila have decided to attempt such a great challenge to raise vital funds for Cancer Research UK.

"Eric and Laila have been doing lots of preparation and we're sure they are going to have an amazing experience. We can't thank them both enough for their support and want to wish them the very best on the journey.

"Cancer Research UK has made enormous progress in the fight against cancer. However, we have only been able to do this thanks to the dedication and commitment of our volunteers and supporters without whom we would not be able to fund our research."

You can make a donation via Eric and Laila's Cancer Research UK fundraising page or via bank transfer using the below details:

Reference: 677652565

Bank name: Natwest

Bank address: Natwest Bank, Connaught House, 65 Aldwych, London, WC2B 4EJ

Account name: Cancer Research UK Regional Receipts

Sort Code: 56 00 13

Account number: 22994270

For further information about Cancer Research UK's work or to find out how to support the charity, call 0300 123 1022 or visit cruk.org