Smokey and the Bandit-inspired school chums to race across Europe for cancer charity

Nathan Cross from Ellesmere wanted to raise funds for a breast cancer charity after losing his mother to the disease, and with his friend Paul Grindley decided to take on the Screwball Rally Challenge, driving through five European countries over five days, totalling more than 1,500 miles.

They will share the driving over the five days, beginning in Kent on September 21 and making their way first to Strasbourg, then on to Domaso, Bern, Luxembourg and finally Calais.

"We started to realise that things should be done before it’s too late, tomorrow is not a guarantee," Nathan said.

The rally asks each entrant to have a theme, not a difficult decision for Nathan as he remembers Smokey and the Bandit being his favourite film as he was growing up.

"Bikes and frisbees were abandoned where they lay as we all rushed back home to watch TV," he said.

The film follows Burt Reynolds's Bandit as he races to deliver 400 cases of bootleg beer from Texarkana to Atlanta.

As he owns a spraying business, the car, not a Pontiac Trans Am but a small Black Ford Fiesta, is already in its Smokey and the Bandit livery.

They also have some promises of donations from some local companies, with the “Signtist” from Ellesmere donating stickers to go on the car for advertising. Any company donating £100 will get a sticker on the car promoting their business and the roof is also available for a larger donation.

When the owners of the Ellesmere Hotel heard that Nathan, their ex-relief manager, was doing the challenge and the theme chosen, they contacted Molson Coors as the beer was central to the plot of Smokey and the Bandit.

"They kindly donated a barrel of beer which hopefully will raise funds over the next few weeks," Sandra Walford from the Ellesmere Hotel said.

Nathan and Paul will be dressing up as characters from the film and will be showing off their car in the Ellesmere Carnival on Saturday.