Man to bid again for 1.5 tonne van pull record

Mike Land missed out last year but wants to set the record straight this year

A man, who survived a bungee-jumping accident in the 1990s, is set to re-attempt a world record of pulling a 1.5 tonne van.

Mike Land tried to break the record of pulling a van with a weight of 1.5 tonnes for the further distance over 24 hours last year, but it was halted due to potholes.

On Tuesday, the brand consultant from Swindon will try the challenge again, in an attempt to beat the current world record of 32 miles (51.5km).

Mr Land, who hopes to raise £15,000 for Wiltshire and Bath Air Ambulance, said this time he was "stronger and more determined".

Speaking to BBC Wiltshire, he said: "Anybody that adds to that weight, like the driver that has to be there for safety, must be kept to a minimum" but admitted "it's a boring job as I will be averaging two miles an hour".

Last autumn he pulled the vehicle for 10.5 miles (13km) but had to stop because of the challenging ground conditions.

It is a big turnaround for Mr Land, who had an accident in 1993 when a bungee rope snapped during a jump leading to serious injury. Doctors were not sure if he would fully recover.

However, since the incident 32 years ago Mr Land has gone on to raise thousands of pounds for charity, including by abseiling down Portsmouth's Spinnaker Tower.

Last year his record attempt was carried out at a military airfield which had wet grass and potholes.

This time Mr Land has secured an indoor venue at a warehouse owned by Indurent, near Chippenham, which is 340,000sq km.

"It is a polished concrete floor, perfectly level so I have got no excuses," Mr Land said.

Money from the record attempt will go towards Wiltshire and Bath Air Ambulance

According to the Guinness World Records, the record for pulling a vehicle in 24 hours, is equally held by two British brothers-in-law, James Baker and John Darwen, who pulled a van for 32 miles in 2022.