SCOOTERMAN Matheu Parry celebrated with Champagne after breaking his own world record and clocking up 161 miles inside 24 hours on a self-propelled scooter.

Matheu, 28, of Church Street, Trawden, raced non-stop round Seedhill athletics track, Nelson, and beat the previous record of 160 miles with more than an hour-and-a-half to go to the time limit.

Shortly after crossing the finishing line, after completing 648 laps of the track, Matheu said: "Strangely enough I feel fine. I'm actually quite surprised how good I feel.

"I find it very therapeutic going along, it clears my mind. It will probably catch up on me later but in three days' time I'll feel great because the exercise clears all the toxins from your body."

There was a short time when rain threatened to make the endurance bid uncomfortable but apart from that the elements stayed on his side. Matheu took a break every 100 laps to catch up on food and drink.

A TV crew from the BBC's Record Breakers programme visited the track on Friday to record Matheu's efforts for the programme.

Matheu,

who works for Nelson internet company Commercial Networks, used the two-wheeled test of endurance as training for his bid to scoot coast to coast across the United States in the summer. The trip is expected to take two months.

He also used the event to raise money to pay for a new artificial leg for Cherie Barr, of Earby, a customer at Matheu's local pub the Rock Hotel, Trawden. A final figure on how much was raised is not yet known.

Matheu set the previous record at Aintree race course, Liverpool, in 1997.