PAUL Ealham will become Mr Bump for the day when he runs his ninth London Marathon this weekend. The 43-year-old, who was born and brought up in St Albans, will be completing the challenge in memory of a friend s son who died of leukaemia a few years back

PAUL Ealham will become Mr Bump for the day when he runs his ninth London Marathon this weekend.

The 43-year-old, who was born and brought up in St Albans, will be completing the challenge in memory of a friend's son who died of leukaemia a few years back.

Also spurring Paul on to raise money for the charity Children with Leukaemia, is the plight of another child he knows who has been diagnosed with the illness and is receiving treatment.

Paul, who now lives in Abbots Langley with his wife and two children, has been running since he was seven years old and is a member of St Albans Striders.

He has completed the London Marathon for cancer charities nine times, each in fancy dress. But his fundraising efforts don't stop there. He has recently held a fundraising disco which raised £2,000 for Children with Leukaemia and he has also managed to get his hands on a number of rare collectors' items to auction off for the charity.

With the help of a friend, Paul has got a pair of signed Joe Calzaghe boxing gloves, a Six Nations rugby ball signed by Martyn Williams and a signed Spurs shirt which will be auctioned on eBay for the cause.

To sponsor Paul for his Flora London Marathon challenge visit www.bmycharity.com and type in his name, or to find out about the items to be auctioned e-mail him at paul.ealham@ntlworld.com