A YOUNG adventurer is taking the trip of a lifetime - in a car most people associate with short trips to the supermarket.

John Owens loves to travel so when he heard about the Mongol Rally, a mad dash across a quarter of the earth's surface he could not resist.

The 23-year-old, of Park Avenue, Worcester, has only just returned from volunteering in Sri Lanka.

He said: "I'm up for a challenge. I want to see the world before I start my career."

Mr Owens and fellow adventurer Owain Mugford, aged 21, will start the 8,000 mile journey in London's Hyde Park, Saturday, July 22.

They have a month to reach Ulaanbaatar in Outer Mongolia, travelling across some of the most picturesque parts of Europe in their one-litre Nissan Micra, and raising money for charity on the way.

But preparations so far haven't exactly gone according to plan.

Mr Owens said: "The first car we bought was a bit of a disaster. We got it off Ebay and halfway home it broke down. So it took us four hours to get there to pick it up, then eight hours getting back in a recovery truck."

Mr Owens took the Suzuki jeep to a garage run by the MotoV8 Dragon Project, a youth training scheme based in Gregory Mill Street, Worcester. They basically told me it was beyond help."

Now the pair are hoping the young mechanics will teach them a few tricks of the trade and skills that might prove vital if the Nissan breaks down in the middle of a desert.

Mr Owens said: "If it happens it happens and we'll find a way to carry on. My mum's a bit worried. I'm hoping it will be a life-changing experience - that's why I do all my travelling."

The friends, who are sharing the driving, need business and organisations to sponsor them. After paying for the car and entrance fees the costs are adding up and they now need some help with petrol, food and accommodation costs.

If you want to support their trip, visit www.thesmokingdragon.co.uk, call John on 07834 094782, or go along to their fundraising quiz being held at the Perdiswell Pub in Droitwich Road, at 8pm tomorrow night.