A stepfather and son team is set to compete an extreme off-roading rally through the Sahara in a Land Rover that looks like a Tonka truck.

Peter Lambert, 58, and Michael Sawdon, 30, will travel 10,000 miles as part of the Budapest-Bamako rally which starts in the capital of Hungary and goes through Europe and West Africa to Bumbuna Falls in Freetown, Sierra Leone.

Michael, from Baldrine, is a chief petty officer and weaponry engineer in the Royal Navy.

He has taken part in similar off-roading events, including the Help for Heroes rally around Europe in 2015.

His team came fifth out of 45.

Joining him this time is his stepdad Peter, who runs the ventilation systems company Dri Homes with his wife Debbie.

He will wear many hats during the trip as co-driver, navigator and mechanic.

Michael described their feelings towards the adventure as ’nervous excitement’.

’I first found out about this rally - which runs every two years in Africa - in 2016 when a friend recommended it as a next challenge after the Help for Heroes event,’ he said.

Adventure

’But there was no way we’d be ready in time as the dates between the two were too close.

’I looked at it as a long-term plan for the future and said to the old man "would you like to go on an adventure?".

’The main thing that this trip will do is put us out of our comfort zone.

’In Europe you can refuel easily.

’We’re going through the Pyrenees in Spain, down to Morocco and will get through a good portion of the Atlas Mountains and the Sahara Desert.

’If we get into trouble, we’ll be recovered, but not the vehicle.’

He added: ’It will be one hell of a bonding session.’

The pair will also be camping along the way and surviving on Navy ration packs to limit the risk of getting food poisoning.

Having spent a lot of time as a kid learning about engineering from Peter in their family garage, Michael was inspired to get his first Land Rover Defender in 1994 and had it adapted for off-roading.

When it was stolen in the UK he bought the current Land Rover which originally had the word ’Tonka’ on the side.

’We got carried away with this and spray painted the Land Rover yellow,’ he said. ’Everyone here knows it.’

Tonka trucks, created in the 1940s, are popular yellow steel toys known for being incredibly durable.

Michael and Peter are hoping this will be the case for their vehicle when they start the rally in Budapest on January 31.

They set off to Europe on January 27 and expect to cross the finish line in Sierra Leone on about February 16.

You can follow their Facebook page by searching ’2020 Budapest - Bamako Rally Team Tonka Truckers’.