Liam Payne, Jody Craddock and Black Country folk join the ICE way to raise money

From saucepans, to wash basins and even by tractor – there are plenty of ways to be drenched with ice cold water in the name of charity.

The Ice Bucket Challenge is sending a chill across the planet with celebrities and everyday folk taking the frosty plunge.

One Direction star Liam Payne, of Bushbury, Wolverhampton, is one of the hundreds of celebrities to take the soaking.

The 20-year-old was filmed surrounded by a group of 10 girls clutching silver bowls of freezing water.

The singer was nominated by Cheryl Cole and donated to the Ice Bucket Challenge's original charity – the Ateral Sclerosis Association (ALS). In this country ALS is known as motor neurone disease.

He subsequently challenged his girlfriend Sophia Smith, fellow pop star Pharrell Williams and comedians John C Reilly and Will Ferrell.

Wearing a white T-shirt and black baseball cap, the former St Peter's Collegiate School grimaces as the hoard of girls scream with excitement.

Tracy LeMay, of Cannock, took the challenge to new extremes.

The 46-year-old, who lives in Connecticut in the USA, is sat with her husband Ken, 47, and labrador Maddy while her daughter Tess, 13, empties the contents of a tractor bucket on them.

Mrs LeMay said: "One of my neighbours nominated us as a couple. We were happy to participate and we donated as well as completed the challenge.

"We decided to do the challenge with the tractor because we wanted a big splash. We were excited to do the challenge, but of course were anticipating getting very, very wet. I forgot to take my shoes off and they took ages to dry.

"The dog of course had no clue – but she loved it being a lab – she is the first one of our three dogs to line up for a bath."

They also donated to Project ALS.

Former Wolves' captain Jody Craddock has also braved the shiver. He took the challenge with sons Joseph and Luke, using a bucket and sink basins. But rather than looking petrified, like our Liam, the boys rather seemed to enjoy it.

But those who definitely did not look like they had fun were current Wolves' trio Carl Ikeme, Danny Batth and Richard Stearman. All three were left howling and made a mad dash after enduring their downpour.

They nominated a string of their teammates in the process.

Danielle Danks, 33, from Tipton, sent in a video of herself doing the challenge. Using a black basin she looked thoroughly drenched, but did not make any fuss.

Staff from Wolverhampton-based water cooler firm Angel Springs are also getting in on the act. Nine staff at the company's headquarters will get a soaking on September 2. They will be donating to Project ALS.

The craze has been sweeping the planet and going viral on the internet.

After each participant has filmed themselves enduring several seconds of icy pain, they then nominate up to three more people to undergo the same public humiliation.

The idea has been traced back to Boston College baseball player Pete Frates, whose promising sporting career was cut short after he developed motor neurone disease.

In 2013, he challenged several Boston Red Sox players to the ice-bucket treatment to raise money and awareness for the condition - individuals can either accept the challenge, or donate an agreed sum to charity - but most people are taking the punishment and also making a donation.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Steven Gerrard have taken part, so have Justin Bieber and Taylor Swift.

Russell Brand even challenged Prime Minister David Cameron.

While former US President George W Bush has braved the chill - so far President Obama has refused, choosing to donate instead.

A motor neuron is a nerve cell that makes voluntary muscle movements - the disease stops these cells from working properly.

It stops people eating, walking and talking, for example, but does not stop them from thinking or feeling, effectively leaving sufferers 'locked in' their bodies.

There is no known cure.

It is quite rare – only about 5,000 people in the UK suffer from the disease at the moment.

However, it strikes fast, and half of people diagnosed will die within the first 14 months of knowing they have it.

You can donate to whatever charity you like but the main UK charity for research into cures is MND Association.

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