SOME of the strongest men in the country are to descend on Bury in aid of charity for the Silvers Ironman Contest.

The competition, at Silvers Gym on Back Silver Street on May 4, has been set up by former UK Bodybuilding champ Barry Neill, and all profits will go to cancer research.

Mr Neill said: "I work in the pharmaceutical industry and have become aware of how skin cancer research is seriously underfunded compared with other forms of the disease.

"Our main sponsors Interactive Nutrition, Force Fitness Systems and Chemical Nutritional Products have been very helpful to us but additional contributions will go straight to charity.

"The competition will be covered in national magazines and is to be taped by B&G videos."

Competitors are invited to take part in three weight categories, each of which involve squats, deadlifts, bench press, shoulder press, dips, chins and curls.

Neill said: "The spread of events means serious contenders have to be good all-rounders."

Anyone interested in sponsoring or entering the competition should contact Barry on 07736 226970 or the venue, Silvers on 0161 763 1104.

Mr Neill said: "The normal 'Strongest Man' contests have only one class and so favour the heavier, and usually taller, athletes whereas the Ironman events allow people to compete on a more even field.

"The relatively high repetitions achievable mean that both strength and stamina are required and the range of events evens out factors such as height or weight advantages."