A MAN who pulled a mini-fire engine from Ramsbottom to Bolton in memory of his best friend has raised £1,500 for charity.

Philip Frain, aged 33, of Tonge Moor, decided to take up the challenge when his best friend Phil Johnson died of cancer last year.

Father-of-two Mr Johnson was a firefighter at Bolton Central station for 25 years.

The 46-year-old, from Stoneclough, died just 17 days after being diagnosed with a tumour in his spine and lung cancer.

Nicknamed "Stick" because he was tall and thin, he was known as the joker of the fire station and was given a Monty Python-style send off when '"Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life" was played at his funeral.

His widow Janet said: "It's a really nice idea of Philip to do this. Phil had so many friends. He was a happy-go-lucky kind of man, always messing around, a bit of a joker but he would do anything to help people."

On finishing the 9.2mile pull, Mr Frain, who works in industrial textiles, said: "I feel like I've achieved something. It was hard work but I had a lot of public support with drivers peeping and the support from the firefighters has been fantastic. I couldn't have done it without them.

"When Phil died, it was such a shock. I felt I had to do something. I'm going to put the engine in my garden, which I'm finishing off as a memorial."

Mr Frain's wife Denise, also aged 33, got in on the challenge, helping push the fire engine to Bolton, where firefighters cheered them home.

The money raised will be shared between Christies Against Cancer and the Fire Service Benevolent Fund.

Mr Johnson was a governor at Ringley Primary School and was a regular at Ringley Church. He was Bolton fire station's benevolent worker and used to organise the children's Christmas parties.

He was also a keen gardener and kept the station looking its best with plants and flowers.