Two intrepid hospital doctors from Bradford are preparing to brave the volcanic wastes of Iceland in a challenge to raise cash for a children's charity.

Bradford Royal Infirmary consultants Dr David Dawson and Roger Rand have volunteered to take part in a 75-mile trek across the remote and inhospitable interior of the country to raise cash for Whizz-Kidz, a charity which helps disabled children.

The pair will encounter hot springs, steam vents, ice caves, deserts, geysers, volcanic peaks and crevassed glaciers on their journey, which will take nine days to complete, ending with a dip in the naturally heated waters of a lagoon.

Mr Rand, 53, a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist, has already conquered rugged terrain of the Himalayas and Corsica in previous walks.

But it will be the first time Dr Dawson, 43, a consultant anaesthetist and head of the hospital's operating theatres, has taken part in a trekking challenge and the duo have been putting themselves to the test on moors above Bradford.

Dr Dawson said he had seen details of the walk in the Telegraph & Argus and knew the worthwhile work of the charity.

Friends and colleagues in Bradford are rallying to support their efforts while the Yorkshire Clinic at Bingley has set the fundraising ball rolling with a donation of £2,000. The doctors are appealing for more help from other organisations to help them beat their £5,000 target.

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