SO FAR he's tackled storms, steep hills and dobermans. Had his uniform ripped to shreds, caught sunburn and spent his nights on conference centre floors.

But Ray Edensor - aka The Running Paramedic - is still right on-track for a gruelling 21-day Paris to Blackpool 'Two Towers' challe\nge to make dreams come true for sick children.

Staffordshire Ambulance crew member Ray, 47, has spent the last 12 days running head-to-head marathons across F ance and the UK in a bid to raise £50,000 for the national Dreams Come True charity.

Wearing full paramedic uniform, complete with back-pack, the father-of-two has been running non-stop for an average of 26 miles, from 10am to 5pm each day.

He's already completed several events, including last weekend's London Marathon, which he finished in five hours and 30 minutes.

He now has nine more marathons to got before reaching his target by making it to the Fylde coast to fly the British National Ambulance Services flag from the top of Blackpool Tower on Friday, April 30.

Ray said: "The thing I'm looking forward to most is a nice, warm bed because I've been more-or-less sleeping rough in the back of our van or in Ambulance Service conference room floors.

"After this I reckon I'm going to sleep for at least a month."

Ray, of Boardman Crescent, Stafford, started out on his journey from the French capital on April 10.

Since then he's been hit by unexpected weather conditions, mauled by a pet doberman and spent much of the continental leg of his tour battling it out on uphill runs.

But Ray, who has already raised more than £25,000, is determined to continue for the children's sake.

Ray said: "It seems like I've come up against everything imaginable during this challenge.

"The dog was a bit of a surprise too. It just seemed to leap out of nowhere.

"Fortunately it didn't cause me much harm aside from a few scratches and a torn uniform. The worst things have been catching serious sunburn in France, finding myself facing hills and losing a toe nail on the way to Chantilly, then the thunder and lightning back in Britain. It's been tough but it will all be worth it when I reach Blackpool on the 30th."