Steve's charity stunt across the Channel

3:39pm Tuesday 3rd October 2006

BEING towed across the English Channel on an inflatable banana boat doesn't sound like everyone's cup of tea, but for Stephen Preston it's almost a normal thing to do.

The 34-year-old from Princes Risborough isn't nicknamed Stupid Steve for nothing. This latest stunt is one of many that he's done all in the name of charity.

Steve left Dover Marina and set off for Calais on his yellow inflatable, which was towed behind a rib boat - and driven by a partially blind man.

The round trip took about three hours and Steve reached speeds of up to 30mph on his Island-Hopper banana boat.

He said: "It was hard work. When I got dragged out towards France, that wasn't so bad because we couldn't go too fast because the support boat was being held up by the tide.

"We were going about 15 mph. They were doing 30mph on the way back, it was a lot faster. I was clinging on for dear life."

Steve was sponsored by his friend's recruitment company, Cream, and Storm TV filmed it.

He lived up to his nickname by leaving his passport and wallet in his back pocket, which he didn't realise until an hour and a half into the journey.

He said: "To get some good shots the guy thought it would be good to go over the wake of the support boat.

"The inflatable took off! It threw me up in the air. My friend was killing himself laughing."

Despite being whipped about in the open sea, it was as they were pulling back into Dover that Steve inevitably fell off.

He added: "I started clowning around and then went over a bumpy bit and I couldn't get back on again.

"I was completely spent. That day I felt like my arms had been pulled out of their sockets. It felt like I'd done a million push-ups."

Despite all the silliness on the day, a more serious note was running through Steve's mind as he dedicated the trip to his cousin Samantha Morton, who died on August 30 while on a white water rafting trip in Thailand.

All the money Steve raises through his stunts goes towards Hearing Dogs for Deaf People based in Stokenchurch and since December last year, the service support analyst has raised £16,000 for the charity.

Next up for Steve is the world conker champions and the world's biggest liar contest.

To sponsor Steve for either of his next stunts visit www.stupidsteve.co.uk