TWO Darwen runners have become devotees of a bizarre sport - extreme ironing.

It involves taking an iron and ironing board out on runs to remote locations, before completing the domestic chore at their destination.

Boyfriend and girlfriend Gary Mitchell and Linda Clarkson are now planning to run to beauty spots across East Lancashire for their new hobby.

Gary said: "When we were sitting at the top the first time with our ironing board everyone was looking at us as if to say what are those idiots doing?'.

"But then a few young people came up to us and seemed to be really intrigued and wanted a go."

Linda added: "Gary carries the ironing board and I carry the iron in a rucksack.

"The board is really light, so that's not a problem, but the iron is quite heavy and I've been cracked a few times on the back of the head with it."

Extreme ironing has been around for 10 years.

In 2002 the first Extreme Ironing World Championships were held in Germany, with competitors from 10 nations.

Over the years since it was first conceived, participants have become more daring.

Extreme ironing has taken place at Mount Rushmore and at a gorge in South Africa. Some people have gone even further and combined bungee jumping with ironing.

But for now Gary and Linda are content to scale remote locations in East Lancashire while they get used to the "extreme sport".

The couple, who met at Darwen Dashers running club, which takes members from across East Lancashire.

Linda, 40, a quality assurance manager from Mellor, said she heard about it while writing for the Darwen Dashers magazine.

She said: "I saw it on the internet and wrote an article about it. I fancied a go after that. I thought, 'why not?'.

"We asked people in the club if they wanted a go, and, unsurprisingly, nobody did!"

Gary, 46, a plumber from Punstock Road, Darwen, said: "We've only just started . We did a run up to Darwen Tower and it seems to have gone a bit crazy.

"We thought we'd try it out in Darwen because that's where we're from, and now we're looking into places further afield."

Both Gary and Linda are training for the London Marathon in April, but are not planning to take the ironing board.

Gary said: "It takes long enough to get round without carrying an ironing board!"

Darwen Dashers members are also gearing up for the Half Tour of Pendle fell race that takes place next month. This is a nine mile race across the iconic fell and many members will be training in the Pendle area in the coming weeks.