A MERCY mission to take a fire engine to Afghanistan from the region has been delayed by a bureaucratic hitch.

The tender will now leave North Yorkshire next week on its 5,000-mile, two-week journey.

The 12-year-old vehicle was bought on Merseyside with the help of Harrogate Rotary Club, and will become the first purpose-built fire engine in war-ravaged Kabul.

It is being crewed by retired Harrogate businessman and charity worker John Shackleton; Eric Kent, an engineer with North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, from Thirn, near Thornton Watlass; David Ward-Campbell, a Harrogate bank worker; and Carl Sobota, a former North Yorkshire firefighter, now living in Thornley, County Durham.

Their route will take them from Hull to Zeebrugge, and across Europe through Turkey and Iran, before they arrive in Afghanistan.

They were due to leave for Kabul more than a week ago, but their departure had to be postponed when it was found that Mr Sobota - who stepped in at the last moment because of a crew change - had been left without a valid Iranian visa.

Mr Shackleton made a personal visit to the Iranian embassy in London and, now all documents are in order, the trip will start on Monday.

Mr Kent said: "It was very disappointing when we heard about the problem, but there was nothing we could do about it. Now it is sorted, all we want to do is get on our way.