A CAR that has been transformed into a pirate ship will make its way from Bootle to Barcelona in a bid to raise £1,000 for charity.

Three engineers and a primary school headteacher are set to embark on a four-day voyage that will see them cross nine different borders and drive 1,500 miles dressed as pirates.

Pete Mills, headteacher of Captain Shaw’s Primary School, in Bootle, masterminded the journey that aims to raise money for the Fighting Fitz campaign in honour of close friend and St Pius X primary school teacher, Danielle Fitzsimons, who is receiving treatment for breast cancer.

Mr Mills said: “We entered the Wacky Rally which means you buy a car for £300 or less, do whatever you want to it and then race it all the way to Barcelona.

“It’s not about being the fastest - it’s about being the daftest.”

Mr Mills will be joined by three friends and BAE engineers, Gary Jewula, Matthew Sloan and Michael Jones, who have transformed an old bottle-green BMW 523 into a state-of-the-art pirate ship that will carry the Fighting Fitz campaign through the very heart of Europe.

Mr Jones said: “It all started as a bit of a joke but the more we thought about it the more we thought we could do it for the charity and it just went from there.”

In true sailor fashion, it was all hands on deck as the crew enlisted the help of Captain Shaw's pupils who designed and decorated the boat themselves.

Mr Mills said: “It was an idea that has been floating around. I was heavily involved in the Fighting Fitz campaign and I wanted to do some STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) related projects and soon lots of silly little ideas became one massive stupid idea.”

"It's all about joined-up learning and activities outside the classroom.

"It's aspirational as well. It's teaching them that there's no reason why you can't buy an old car and drive it across Europe."

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