AN intrepid husband and wife from Bere Alston are ready to tackle a 3,000 mile challenge to circumnavigate the British Isles, paddling a double sea kayak.

Andy and Jane Morton will set out in their aptly named kayak, Persy, (short for Perseverance) from Weir Quay on April 6, paddle up the River Tamar, out of Plymouth Sound and into the English Channel before heading clockwise around the UK, including Ireland.

They plan to arrive back in Plymouth some five months later, taking on exposed and notorious stretches of the coast, including the 53 mile crossing from mid-Wales across the Irish Sea and up the west coast of Ireland open to the full force of the Atlantic Ocean, then channelling through the beautiful Scottish islands.

The pair, both members of the Tamar and Tavy Gig Club, met through the Duke of Edinburgh's Award canoeing expedition as teenagers and have both been paddling for more than 20 years.

Andy, aged 30, works as a green oak framer for the Tamar Joinery Company in Bere Alston while Jane, 31, is a permanent supply teacher in Plymouth.

Speaking of how the pair decided to take up the daunting challenge Andy told the Times: 'It goes without saying that this expedition will also be the ultimate personal challenge. We relish the self-sufficient nature of the trip both on and off the water.'

'We love the British coastline and we thought at first to kayak around Ireland and it just grew from there.

'It is not a race and we won't be taking any chances with the weather — we will take it day by day. We are really looking forward to it.'

They have already undertaken lengthy sea kayaking expeditions to date include several crossings to the Isles of Scilly, Lundy Island, some 250 miles exploring the Marlborough Sounds in New Zealand and more than 500 miles around the Southwest coast of England and Wales.

The expedition will raise money for the Merlin MS Centre and RNLI. The Merlin MS Centre supports sufferers of the incurable disease Multiple Sclerosis and their families in Cornwall. the couple are supporting the centre in memory of Jane's dad, Derek Lambley, who recently died of MS.

The kayakers are looking to raise £2,000 for each charity.

Readers will be able to follow their progress or make a donation to their chosen charities by going through their website http://www.k2gb.org.uk">www.k2gb.org.uk

l Andy and Jane Morton are pictured left, aboard Persy.