CALL him mad, call him wacky, but dotty diver Mark Webber is a man on a double-edged mission - to pull the plug on a world record and save his scuba club.

Mark Webber (pictured), from North Road, Blackburn, is an M65 construction worker by day and a scuba diver by night.

And the ambitious 27-year-old is busy training for a crack at the world record for the longest-ever underwater dive - 10 days - to try to raise money to save his beloved diving club.

Members of the Manchester Diving Group in Chorlton hope to raise £40,000 through sponsorship - to secure a 99-year lease on their diving centre.

"It will be the biggest challenge of my life - my friends think I'm mad," laughed Mark. "I've always loved a challenge though and have wanted to be in the Guinness Book of Records since I was a kid.

"Trying to overcome the boredom will be the biggest problem."

In nearly six years and around 500 dives, Mark's longest stay underwater has been four-and-a-half hours at the bottom of a Welsh quarry.

Previous attempts on the record have resulted in people losing their hair and going deaf, but Mark is undeterred.

"It's very dangerous but I'll be supervised throughout the attempt," he said. "There will be an underwater bed where I can sleep for up to three hours with double tanks - and there will be lots of things to pass the time. It won't be easy but I'm confident I can do it."

Mark's marathon dive is scheduled for September 27. If you would like to sponsor him call 261493 or 0161 881 9050.

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