A Cromer man has taken on the challenge of running a marathon Barcelona in a bid to help wounded war heroes and their families and raised more than �1,000.

Alan Lamb, 42, has raised �1,200 so far for Help for Heroes, the charity supporting wounded members of our Armed Forces, by running in the Barcelona Marathon on Sunday .

He now aims to continue fundraising for the charity until he hits the �1,500 mark.

He has been training on his own for the race for about 12 months, stepping up to two runs of nine or ten miles and a weekend run of between 14 and 18 miles each week. The hard work paid off as he managed to complete the race in three hours, 54 minutes and 54 seconds.

He said: 'It was gruelling but I am really pleased I managed to finish it as I started to get muscle cramps half-way through and it was very hot.

'Three years ago I couldn't run five miles. I weighed nearly 17 stones – now I'm down to 14-and-a-half stones.

'I wanted to do a marathon, but it's so difficult to get an entry for London I thought I'd pick one abroad and do it for a good cause, too.

'I've been inspired by what I've seen on television of the work of Help for Heroes – and the brother of a friend of mine is currently on his third stint in Afghanistan, so I thought I could do my little bit.

'When I get to �1,500 I'll stop this year, but I might do something else for Help for Heroes next year, they do such great work.'

His wife, Nicola, has been helping with the fundraising, including organising a quiz night.

On Saturday, March 12, Mr Lamb will be collecting at the Anglia Co-operative foodstore in Middlebrook Way, Cromer.

Store manager Mark Dixon said: 'It's a great opportunity for local people to get behind Alan's efforts and I'm sure they'll give generously.'