A FIREFIGHTER is turning up the heat and taking on one of the world's hottest, harshest environments for charity.

Mike Dayson, a firefighter with Redcar-based Cleveland Fire Brigade, is running the Marathon des Sables across the Sahara Desert, from Sunday until April 16, in a bid to raise £10,000 for the Anthony Nolan Bone Marrow Trust.

He is taking on the Sahara in temperatures of up to 50 degrees during the day and zero at night, in memory of a school friend who died of leukaemia.

Mr Dayson said: "This is the 20th year of the race, which covers more than 150 miles of the Sahara, between the borders of Morocco and Algeria.

"Some of the sand dunes will be over 300 metres high. For the duration of the race I will be carrying all my food and equipment - sleeping bag, cooking equipment, roll mat, first aid kit and clothes, which will weigh over 12kg, plus my daily litres of water.

"When we finish we are staying in the only five-star hotel in the area, but we have all been told that we cannot use the swimming pool because of the kind of injuries we are expected to have."

Anyone who wants to sponsor Mr Dayson's marathon effort can call after the race on 07885 256118, or his support team on (01642) 323424.