Headless horseman for Halloween

A teenager will be transformed into a headless horseman this Halloween in a bid to raise cash for a West Midland hospital.

Mark Evans, aged 17, will ride his horse Toby 14 miles around Sandwell Valley at the dead of night, in a bid to raise money for the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham.

He will ride from All Saints Church in West Bromwich around the perimeter of the country park, dressed in a headless horseman Halloween costume, sponsored by friends and family.

He was inspired to raise money after picking up a leaflet in the waiting room of the QE, where his uncle, Philip Evans, aged 52, of Friar Park Road, has dialysis.

Mark, also of Friar Park Road, said: "My uncle is on the waiting list for a new kidney and it was while accompanying him to an appointment that I saw leaflets looking for fundraisers. I wanted to do something a bit different, and have been riding all my life, which is how I came up with the idea."

Donning a mac with a fake head under his arm, the ex-Manor High School pupil will complete a circuit of the valley in two hours, setting off at 7pm. He said: "I am used to riding at night so it doesn't bother me.

"However I might give a bit of a scare to anyone I meet along the way. So far I have raised £120 in sponsorship and I am hoping the final total will be much more."