A FORMER Worcester man, known as Mr Gorilla, says he couldn't believe the global interest his six day crawling London marathon received.

Former RGS pupil Tom Harrison, who goes by the name Mr Gorilla, started at 10.34am on the day of the main race, and six days later, on Saturday, he crossed the finish line in front of a large crowd.

The 41-year-old, a Metropolitan Police officer who still has family living in Malvern, took on the unusual gorilla-style 26.2 mile marathon to raise money for The Gorilla Organization.

He slept at friends’ houses in the evenings after completing around 10 to 12 hours and 4.5 miles per day, swapping between crawling on hands and knees and up on hands and feet.

Mr Harrison crossed the finish line at 11.45am on The Mall, flanked by his two sons Alex and Nicholas and beating his chest for the onlooking crowds.

Speaking to the Worcester News, Mr Harrison said: "I have always had an interest in the decline of wildlife and gorillas so I wanted to support this charity.

"Last November I went out with them to see their work in Uganda and Rwanda first-hand, and that inspired me to fundraise again for them.

"Last year I did the marathon, and this year I thought it would be nice to do something different, which is where the gorilla-style came from.

"I couldn't believe when it went global - I had camera crews from Germany and Russia following me.

"My friend in Cambodia said even people there had heard of Mr Gorilla."

He was met at the finish line by Gorilla Organisation chairman Ian Redmond and TV personality and conservationist Bill Oddie, who handed him a trophy and a stuffed gorilla.

Mr Harrison added he was now recovering at his home, having suffered blisters on his hands and knees, and heartburn as the stomach is not used to being in that position for a long period.

At the last count Mr Harrison had smashed his original £1,750, raising more than £40,000 for the charity.

“He’s just this incredible personality who seems to me to be absolutely fearless, but he loves the gorillas.” said Jillian Miller, the charity’s director.

“I thought he was mad at first, but you know when Tom sets his heart to do something, he absolutely does it.”

There is still time to make a donation to Mr Harrison’s fundraiser by visiting justgiving.com/fundraising/mr-gorilla.