AN iron man England fan has raised cash for a Colchester-based charity by cycling and swimming 11,800 miles to get to the World Cup.

Rob Forbes set off on his epic eight-month trip last October with the aim of raising £19,000 for Re-Cycle, which ships unwanted bikes to Africa.

He pedalled through Europe and then swam across the Straits of Gibraltar to Morocco.

Since then, he has clocked up ten hours a day in the saddle to get to South Africa, where he plans to put himself through yet more punishment by running in a 90km mega-marathon.

The 27-year-old’s efforts have won him a place in the final four of a contest to find the biggest footie fan on the planet, run by tyre-maker and World Cup sponsor Continental.

He is also in line to get his name in the Guinness Book of World Records, for having completed the world’s longest triathlon, assuming he finishes the marathon in a few days time.

Re-Cycle manager Tim Leggett said Rob, from Cirencester, Gloucs, who has already raised more than £15,000 of his target amount, was providing the organisation with a huge boost.

“If he gets the £19,000 it will be enough to send five more container-loads of bikes to Africa,” Mr Leggett said. “I think he’s completely bonkers for taking it on, but from our point of view it is absolutely brilliant.”

Mr Leggett added the charity was in urgent need of bikes to fill up the containers which Mr Forbes will be paying for.

The organisation’s volunteers carry out repairs at its Eastgates base, so old cycles in need of work are welcome.

They can be dropped off between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday, and from 9am to 1pm on Saturdays, at Unit A, Global Park, Moorside, Colchester, CO1 2TJ.

To sponsor Rob, visit www.tri4africa.co.uk