FORMER rally champion Jeff Smith is leaving the racing cars on the track but taking to the lanes for a sponsored swim.

The 67-year-old from Langho is determined to leave his days suffering from bowel cancer behind him and concentrate on raising money for the Magic Eye appeal.

He plans to join the early birds and swim as many lengths as possible of the Stoneyhurst College pool on November 20 at 7.30am.

The most he can manage at present is 40 in half an hour.

"Before I was ill I used to be able to swim 40 lengths in 24 minutes. When I was recovering I was lucky enough to have a friend who let me use a private pool. When you are going through chemotherapy you have to be very careful about the exposure to germs."

Two years ago Mr Smith was diagnosed with cancer of the bowl and an operation revealed it had spread to the pelvic area.

But in the past Jeff was more comfortable by the side of a rally driver, navigating the twists and turns of a rally circuit.

Since 1965 he has won the Northern Rally Championships several times, the latest being in the year 2000.

The Lancashire Evening Telegraph Magic Eye appeal hopes to raise £200,000 for an endoscopic ultrasound scanner which will help the people of East Lancashire with the speedier diagnosis of stomach and throat cancer