A HEREFORD carpenter will drive across Europe in a car costing less than £1,000 as he raises money for the hospital that saved his life.

Sam Newberry will set off from Hereford tomorrow (Thursday) as he tackles the 1,200-mile Screwball Rally.

Mr Newberry, and friends Laurie Bennett and Chris McCarthy, will be behind the wheel of a 1997 Honda Civic, while raising money for Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham.

The challenge is seven years since Mr Newberry broke his back.

“My brother Ryan and I were out having a fun-filled day on motocross bikes when we both hit a large ditch and suffered numerous broken bones,” he said.

“I received incredible medical help. The operation that I had consisted of five bolts and two metal rods being connected to my spine in order to stop any further damage.”

The surgery was successful and the brothers both made full recoveries.

More than 100 ‘banger’ cars, which have to be purchased for under £1,000, will take on a 1,281 mile journey across Europe in five days.

The trio will visit France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany and Switzerland before finishing in Calais.

For more information and to donate, visit his JustGiving page.