A pub landlord is undertaking a mammoth dryathlon and giving up alcohol for a whole year.

Keen runner Mark Powell, 40, is in charge of The Plough in Wilmington, and decided to quit drinking to concentrate on his work and his fitness.

He is three months into his ambitious New Year resolution, which means he cannot even pull himself a pint when cleaning out the beer lines.

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Mr Powell said: "I am working with alcohol every day, and I cannot touch alcohol.

"Personally I find it quite easy now. I have gone past the difficult part.

"If it was anyone else doing it they would find it very hard. But once I put my mind to something...

"Everyone’s coming in and keep asking me if I want a drink and I say ‘no thank you I will just have a soda and lime’."

Competitive Mr Powell said he is "not struggling at all", despite undertaking many landlords’ worst nightmare.

He added: "I was drinking probably a little bit too much. I wanted to get myself focused for running the pub.

"And I said to myself, ‘I will do one month no drinking.’

"And then I thought ‘All the muppets do one month’, so I thought I would do one year."

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Many of The Plough's regulars have donated to the cause

Mr Powell is being sponsored for his dryathlon to raise money for Cancer Research, a charity which is close to his heart.

He said: "I have lost a few family and friends to cancer.

"For the no drinking I hope to make about three or four grand."

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The five-time marathon runner is in training for the London Marathon and Great North Run next year.

He has run the New York, Vienna and Boston marathons in the past, and did the Crayford Half Marathon in February, raising £1000.

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