A 24-year-old man from Hunstanton is about 6,000 miles into an 18,000-mile trip around the world by tandem bicycle.

Since leaving Canterbury in June, John Whybrow and George Agate, 23, have cycled through 15 countries on two continents and are now in Thailand, about to cross the border into Malaysia.

The next leg of their journey will take them from Perth to Brisbane in Australia and then on to New Zealand. They will then fly to San Francisco and follow the highway to Colombia in South America, before flying back to Europe for a final sprint through Spain and France. The men hope to complete their challenge in under 300 days, thereby setting a new Guinness world record.

The journey so far, however, hasn't come without its challenges. They were hit by a bus in Austria, chased by dogs in Romania, caught up in the military coup in Turkey and cycled through a monsoon in India.

The pair met at the University of Kent, and Mr Whybrow said: 'It's just one of those mad ideas you come up with. The difference being, we actually went through with it. It was 18 months of planning to get the logistics, kit, visas and route together but it's all been worth it. It's an amazing experience, truly once-in-a-lifetime stuff.'

British explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes has agreed to be patron of the expedition. The pair also aim to raise £100,000 for their chosen charities, Porchlight in Canterbury, Great Ormond Street Hospital children's charity and Water Aid.