A PROFESSIONAL cross-country skier is in the North-East to raise awareness of the dangers of smoking.

Canadian Phil Shaw, who is roller-skiing the length and breath of the country, stopped off in Darlington yesterday.

Mr Shaw, 36, has already travelled almost 1,000 miles on his roller-skis and expects to finish in Dublin in three months time.

Inspired by his father, who had to have heart surgery because of tobacco abuse, Mr Shaw is hoping his efforts will earn him a place in the Guinness Book of Records.

He already has an entry for a similar trek across his native Canada and now he is hoping to spread his message in this country.

Stopping at pubs along the way, he is hoping to persuade as many people as possible to give up smoking.

He said: "This is to create awareness of tobacco. I had heard there's a lot of smokers in Scotland and the North-East of England and now I've seen it with my own eyes.

"While I'm here, I visit pubs and show people my newspaper clippings and discreetly say they should smoke less and exercise more."

Mr Shaw, who stopped in Darlington's Coachman Hotel, expects to cover about 6,000 miles in total by the end of the summer.

He said: "It's not just about tobacco awareness, it's a sporting endeavour. I think I'll be the first to roller-ski across Britain and I'm very keen to promote this sport."

Anyone wanting more information about the challenge can visit www.glide-roll.co