An adventurer endured extreme heat and dust storms while running across the Sahara to raise money for orphans affected by HIV/AIDs.

Greg Edwards, 45, who belongs to Christ Church, Epsom Common, took part in the Marathon des Sables which is thought to be the toughest foot race on earth.

Mr Edwards completed the roughly 160-mile race in Morocco over six days starting on Easter Sunday. He raised £6,000 for South African charity OrphanAID.

It was almost 40°C most of the time and on one of the days, known as the Long Day, it took him over 17 hours to cover more than 57 miles.

The father of two said: "I was exhausted, kicking rocks as my body had become so mechanical, that you see a rock in the dark, you mind is saying 'bypass that rock' but yet you still kick it. So one black one and a lost toe nail was the end result."

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He managed to come 348th out of about 1,350 people who started the race. He said: "The Lord was with me, helped me when I doubted myself, and gave me an inner strength I didn't know existed.

"Also, there were times I felt like I could have thrown in the towel, but then I would look to the sky (or the moon on the Long Day) and say ‘there are orphans in South Africa who need me to finish this race’.

"So my suffering (ie blistered feet and dehydration) was nothing compared to what the orphans have had to endure."

To donate visit www.mycharitypage.com/GregE/