A BOMB disposal expert will run the London Marathon this year following the death of a friend's daughter.

Philip Roberts, 34, is hoping to raise £1,500 for the Meningitis Research Foundation after Claudia Russell passed away last year from the disease aged just one.

He said: "Last year my friend Kayley's daughter went to hospital with an unknown illness.

"Whilst me and my wife were concerned, we just assumed that she would get better and were devastated to find out she had died 24 hours later.

"After a bit of looking into it, it was found that she had Meningitis W and there is nothing anyone could have done.

"The small window you have between diagnosis and treatment in order to survive is ridiculous.

"It really upset me and my wife and since then we just want to do anything we can to help Kayley and her husband at the time Phil."

Mr Roberts has broken his ankle three times leaving him with a permanent limp, stability issues and constant pain in his calves and shins, meaning the marathon will be big test.

He said: "It is going to be a massive challenge, but the more preparation I do the stronger my ankle gets.

"It is never going to be 100 percent but it is getting stronger."

Mr Roberts lived in Evesham from 1995 to 2006 and still has a lot of friends in the area, his parents still live close by in Worcester.

Mr Roberts joined the army as an ammunition technician and is now a qualified bomb disposal expert as well as training soldiers, airmen and sailors as new operators.

He has previously done a half marathon in Cyprus, and the Great North Run.

This year's London Marathon will take place on Sunday April 23.

To donate, go to https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Phil-Roberts19 or text prat82 to 70070 along with how much you would like to donate.