LOCALS at a Chipping Sodbury pub will be pounding the streets as they attempt a 108-mile capital challenge.

The six friends, who all know each other through the Squire Inn on Broad Street, will try to walk from London to Chipping Sodbury in two days.

The route will take the group along main roads and meandering country lanes between Hyde Park corner and their home town.

Organiser Richard Crook, a delivery driver for clothing retailer Next, said: "We were in the pub one evening when I came up with the idea.

"Everyone said it cannot be done but we were looking for a suitably hard challenge and I am quietly confident we can do it."

Mr Crook, of Hatters Lane, decided to embark on a fundraising drive for the Help for Heroes charity, which provides care and support for armed servicemen and women who are injured while on duty.

He said: "I regularly go skydiving with members of the Parachute Regiment.

"Many of them have recently returned from Afghanistan and Iraq and have tales about colleagues who have been terribly injured.

"They do all that for us and I all do is drive around the country. I wanted to do something to help them and what better cause to help than guys who do not come back from war in one piece."

Mr Crook’s wife Sally is also taking part in the challenge, which starts on Friday, August 14, as well as town councillor Paul Jobbins, Squire Inn head chef Tony Bird, driver Adrian Howell and Tim Lund, who runs Sodbury Pavilion sports shop.

Cllr Jobbins, a former Royal Marine, said: "We want to raise as much money as possible.

"We are on the road to Sodbury to help these soldiers on the road to recovery."

The group will take two six-hour breaks during the walk and will try to maintain a pace of three miles per hour.

Added Mr Crook: "We have all run the Sodbury Slog before and are in pretty good health.

"It will be tiring but that is a small price to pay to raise money for this charity."

Local businesses are sponsoring the group and they are collecting sponsorship. Visit www.justgiving.com/108in48 They will also run a stall at Chipping Sodbury Farmers’ Market on Saturday, August 8 (10am-1pm) to try to collect more donations.