A TEAM of mechanics are hoping to raise thousands of pounds for cancer sufferers with a 3,000 mile "banger rally" across Europe.

The "Cicely Men", of Cicely Mercedes, Commercial Road, Darwen, will go from Calais to Amsterdam through Paris, Munich and Prague on the four-day Coyote Banger Rally.

The rally, set up to help people raise money for their chosen charities, challenges teams of two to four people to make it across Europe in four days, in cars which are already on their way to the scrap heap.

Simon Rigby, 24, of Padiham, Steven Bamford, 38, of Blackburn, Walter Barnes, 26, of Rishton, and Damian Barker, 28, of Blackburn, spent £500 - the maximum allowed - on their N-registered Nissan Serena people-carrier.

But are still facing a nail-biting wait to find out whether it can pass an MOT test.

They will begin their journey across Europe on April 3, alongside more than 170 teams, and will have to fulfil a series of silly challenges in each of their city stopping-points.

The group decided to take part in the rally after spotting it on the internet, and picked Macmillan Cancer Support as their fundraising beneficiary after Simon's friend, the manager of a Burnley firm, used the charity's services while ill with testicular cancer.

The team's bosses at Cicely have promised to pay all their fuel expenses, but the lads could still face one or two nights in their car - they will not be able to book accommodation until just a few days before the rally begins, when they get full details of all the meeting points.

Simon said: "We saw it on the internet and it seemed like a good laugh so we all decided to give it a go.

"We've already managed to raise about £1,000 for MacMillan and we're hoping to get more.

"The car's not in the best condition so we're hoping we won't break down, but if we do we're all mechanics so we should be able to get it back going!

"We've had to replace tyres, brake discs and shock absorbers just to get it up to scratch, and we still don't know whether it will pass an MOT, but we'll have it running the best we can before we start."

  • To sponsor the team, contact Cicely Mercedes on 01254 870990.