TOP Bolton darts player Phil Evans is hoping to score a charity fund-raising bullseye with his attempt to break a world record later this month.

Phil, a 40-year-old father of four, plans a round the clock darts playing marathon to beat the record for the highest solo score in 24 hours.

And benefiting from his efforts will be the Association for Children with Heart Disorders - a cause which means a lot to him because his youngest son, four-year-old Shaun, has recently undergone surgery for a hole in the heart.

When Shaun, a pupil at Top o' the' Brow primary school, was born prematurely, a heart murmur was detected, but it was only in October last year that it was discovered he had a hole in the heart which needed surgery.

Shaun made such a good recovery that he was back home with his family in Padbury Way, Breightmet, just seven days after he went into Alder Hey Children's Hospital, Liverpool. And now his dad plans to spend this year raising cash for children's charities.

He starts on January 26 at the Royal Hotel on Vernon Street when he hopes to score a darts total of more than 566,175 in 24 hours, which he estimates means an average score of 100 with each throw.

But on this occasion he plans to forsake the traditional darts players' tipple of beer.

"I'd be asleep by 2am. I'll have plenty of coffee instead and a six pack of Ralgex for my arm," joked Phil, who regularly plays darts for Tonge Ward Labour Club and for Bolton in the Lancashire League.

To add a bit more fun to the occasion he is also going to undergo a sponsored head shave just before his record attempt - with "180" sculpted into his hair. "It will streamline me for going backwards and forwards to the oche," he said.

But he is hoping to hang on to the moustache he has been growing for the last 20 years.

People are still needed to sponsor Phil or to call out his scores, as he is not allowed to do it himself to make it an official record.

Anyone who can help can contact Presentations Darts League secretary Andy Rigby on Bolton 411163 or turn up on the night.

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