Pat McFadden joins Wolverhampton's Beat the Street Campaign

Over the past five weeks one in ten people living in the city have taken part in the campaign, which aims to encourage people to get more active by walking and cycling and turning it into a giant game.

Mr McFadden, the former Wolverhampton South East MP who is standing for re-election in June's general election, created his own Beat the Street team and last week was racing to tap beat boxes around his constituency with school children from Holy Trinity Catholic School.

He said: "Beat the Street is a fantastic health initiative which encourages people of all ages to join the fun but to also improve their health by exercising more. Staff in my Wolverhampton office have been taking part and local councillors and community members have also signed up to join my team.

"I was delighted to spend time and do the planned walk with the staff and children from Holy Trinity Primary School in Bilston on Friday. I am in favour of anything that gets people more active and fitter”.

Participants in Beat the Street are being urged to break the 196,000 mile barrier to help local charity Compton Hospice land £1,000 from game organisers Intelligent Health.

Beat the Street participants in Wolverhampton have already walked 140,700 miles for the competition.

Councillor Paul Sweet, Wolverhampton council's Cabinet Member for public health and wellbeing, said: “It is great to see so many people taking part in Beat the Street, the game really has taken the city by storm.

"With only one week to go I would encourage everyone to give it a final push and tap as many boxes as they can. Not only will we be supporting Compton Hospice but we want to see how far the city can travel together.”