A Maidstone man is to undertake a gruelling fundraising mission to raise money for the helicopter heroes who helped save his father’s life.

Ryan Bingham’s dad, Simon Bingham, was driving home from work in 2003 when he suffered a stroke at the wheel.

He lost consciousness, causing the transit van he was driving to roll over several times before ending in a ditch along Charing Hill.

The 49-year-old was wearing a seat belt, but the weight of the van ended up resting on his chest and arm.

Emergency services rushed to the scene and he was airlifted to the William Harvey Hospital in Ashford with life-threatening injuries.

He remained on life support for more than a month, until his lungs were strong enough to breathe again unaided.

He was discharged after three months, but has spent years recovering from the accident.

Ryan is one of nearly 100 runners who will be putting their best foot forward in aid of Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS), the official charity partner of this year’s Brighton Marathon.

A team of Kent, Surrey and Sussex Air Ambulance patients, doctors, paramedics, staff and trustees will be among the thousands of runners raising funds on Sunday, April 17.

The 20-year-old, who is studying at the University of Kent in Canterbury, said: “The air ambulance played a very critical part in saving my dad and I want to show my thanks by running this marathon. The charity is totally reliant on donations to continue the fantastic work they do.

“The average running time for the Brighton Marathon is four hours, but I’m hoping to do it in around three and a half hours.”