A BRADWORTHY man and his friend are dressing up as clowns to drive 1,500 miles through Europe for Parkinson’s UK.

Mark Brewington, 33, and his friend Will Fletcher, 41, are taking part in the Two Ball Rally, a drive from St Omer, France, to Barcelona, Spain.

The pair will set off today (Thursday) and drive the 1,500-mile journey, which will take them over the French Alps into Italy, then back into France along the Riviera, then finally — all going well — across the finish line in Barcelona on Sunday, July 30.

Will, who runs a landscaping business, said: “The challenge is that you can only spend £567 on the car you use — we think we got a pretty good car for £550, but we’ll see about that when it gets us across the finish line or not!”

While the pair are looking forward to a fun four days, their inspiration is no laughing matter.

Will added: “My very good friend, Bob Talbott, has had Parkinson’s for ten years, so I’m looking forward to raising money for a cause very close to my heart. Bob and I have skied together for 30 years, so it’s great that this drive is taking us on so many mountain roads Bob has driven on, through places where we’ve skied together.”

Will and Mark are aiming to raise £1,000 for Parkinson’s UK. To help them reach their target, visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/alfaclass1-gmail-com-brewington

Paul Jackson-Clark, director of fundraising at Parkinson’s UK, said: “Thank you to Will and Mark taking part in this impressive challenge. It’s fantastic to see people having so much fun while fundraising for an important cause.

“I hope their story has inspired others to fundraise for us. We’re leading the way to find better treatments, and ultimately a cure, but our work wouldn’t be possible without people like Will and Mark.”