A dad is slipping into something more comfortable in a bid to raise cash ahead of the London Marathon.

Andy Bartram, from Maidstone, ran the 26-mile race last year in aid of the City and East London Bereavement Service and had a surprise when he found out they have put his name forward again for 2019.

This year he has decided to don a pair of slippers and wear pyjamas on his morning commute to help boost his fundraising efforts.

Mr Bartram, who lives near Buckland Road, hit the headlines last year when he announced he had set up a "vet your date" agency as he looked to catch any potential catfish.

His business venture took the internet by storm and he appeared on Mail Online and the Metro as well as on KMTV.

The father-of-one is now stepping up his training efforts ahead of the gruelling run through London's streets in April.

Mr Bartram, an intelligence analyst, is once again raising money for the City and East London Bereavement Service which offers counselling to those who have been affected by the loss of a loved one in the Tower Hamlets area.

He said: "I found it really hard doing fundraising and this year I found out the charity put me forward as a member of their team again."

Mr Bartram originally thought he had missed out on a spot on the starting line but was shocked and surprised to hear he would now be lining up alongside thousands of others later this year.

He said:"I have gone from not having a place to all of a sudden having three months to raise money.

"I was thinking about what I could do to raise money. Each day I commute into London and I sleep on the train.

"I thought it would be a good idea to do it in a dressing gown and pyjamas."

Mr Bartram admitted he has had more odd looks than donations but took his new running outfit to his local park run.

However, he is determined to hit a target of £1,500 and he is already 10% of the way there.

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