'Simba' in run to buy young patients festive gifts

Earl Edwards is dressing up as Simba from The Lion King for the Wolverhampton half marathon

A man is racing a half marathon dressed as a lion cub to raise money to buy presents for children in hospital over Christmas.

Earl Edwards will wear a Simba costume, a character from The Lion King, to fundraise for patients in New Cross Hospital's children's ward in Wolverhampton.

The 52-year-old care home worker from Codsall, who runs every evening, has raised more than £500,000 for charity in recent years.

"I want to do everything I can to help others," he said. "To be in hospital at Christmas must be awful, especially [for] young children."

"I always put 110% in everything I do, so I am hoping to raise £10,000."

Mr Edwards said he had lost a lot of friends and family to heart conditions and other illnesses over the last few years.

He has run the London Marathon 20 times, raised money for Children with Cancer UK and also completed a bungee jump for Compton Hospital.

His latest charitable endeavour will see him taking part in the Wolverhampton half marathon on 7 September.

Amie Rogers from Your RWTC, the registered charity of The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, thanked him for "thinking about us and challenging himself".