A SCOOTER enthusiast is to ride 1,500 miles round the country to raise money for a disabled children's play scheme.

Tony Diamond will be reliving his 1960s mod days when he sets off on the marathon ride tomorrow.

Mr Diamond, a club entertainer, runs the Happy Time Leisure company and hit upon the idea when delivering a bouncy castle to a playgroup in Darlington.

He is to raise money for the Dash scheme, which holds after-school clubs, days out and holiday play schemes for children with special needs in Darlington, but has suffered from a lack of funding.

Mr Diamond will be joined on the ride by Alan Hathaway and the pair expect to be on the road for about four days.

He said: "We wanted to do something for these kids and as I'm one of the original mods from the 1960s, we decided to get on our scooters. We'll be going all the way down to Land's End and across to Brighton, where it all started."

The pair will be joined by members of scooter clubs along the way and are intending to camp in fields each night.

Gordon Pybus, of the Darlington Association on Disability (Dad) said: "This is brilliant news that they are going to do this and we will support them in any way we can."

Anyone who wants to sponsor Mr Diamond should contact Dad, next to the Darlington Dolphin Centre, on (01325) 489999.