A DEDICATED firefighter who completed the 26.2-mile 2017 London Marathon wearing his full fire kit has raised thousands for charity.

Firefighter Paul Milburn was something of a celebrity during the 2017 London Marathon, standing out from the 40,000-strong crowd by running in his full fire kit and breathing apparatus.

Raising money for the Fire Fighters Charity, which supports serving and retired fire service employees, he finished the 26.2 mile course in 6:16:31.

Mr Milburn was one of 25 runners from Barrow and South Cumbria who took part in this year's marathon. Collectively they have raised more than £50,000 for various charities.

The Fire Fighters Charity has now confirmed the total amount raised by Mr Milburn came to £9,415.82.

HOW TO APPLY FOR THE 2018 LONDON MARATHON

There are two ways for non-professional runners to take part in the London Marathon - through the ballot or by registering to run on behalf of a registered charity.

Ballot entry

The public ballot entry system for the 2018 Virgin Money London Marathon closed on Friday 5 May 2017.

Charity entry

To apply for a charity place in 2018, you'll need to contact your chosen charity directly to see if they've got any places to offer. You can apply for a charity place at any time.

You can see which charities have guaranteed places at www.virginmoneylondonmarathon.com