The Butcher family's motor may be lampooned as a load of rubbish but they insist she handles like a dream.

They are forgoing the luxury of a more standard saloon on one epic journey in favour of an industrial little number more commonly associated with junk.

The family are embarking on a trip from John o'Groats to Land's End - in a skip.

This one, however, comes complete with tax disc, MOT, comprehensive insurance and is capable of reaching 95mph.

The specially modified skip has been fitted with a Metro engine.

Neil Butcher, 68, from Maresfield near Uckfield, will drive the contraption alongside his son Alex, 32, to help raise money for the Anthony Nolan Trust.

They are confident the skip will last the 1,072 miles from the Scottish Highlands to Cornwall.

And they hope people will dump their cash into it instead of rubbish as they drive through the streets.

The metal shell was transformed into a bizarre vehicle and is insured as a "rigid-bodied saloon car" but is missing some of the key features usually associated with a family motor, including a windscreen, doors and a roof.

Neil said: "It's definitely roadworthy. It handles like a dream, believe it or not.

"The best part about driving it is the look on other people's faces as they see a skip being driven past."

Neil and his son will wear crash helmets and waterproofs to protect them from the elements.

Neil's nephew Ian Butcher will drive a support van behind the duo, in case they break down.

The family will begin the five-day journey on June 28 in the hope of raising £50,000. They decided on the stunt after Alex underwent a life-saving bone marrow transplant in the late Nineties.

Neil said: "Alex was declared to have leukaemia in 1998.

"He came out of hospital a month after his transplant and started his recovery straight away.

"We want to raise as much money as possible to repay the huge debt we owe to the Anthony Nolan Trust."

Several companies have already agreed to sponsor the trip and the public will be able to throw money into the skip as it drives by.

The Butchers have also designed leaflets allowing people to donate cash to the charity or pledge to become a bone marrow donor.

The skip is owned by Scottish firm Oakbank Services, based in Dumfries, which uses it for publicity and fund-raising. Neil saw it being used for a run from Plymouth to Edinburgh and asked if he could borrow it this summer.

He took possession of it last week and will take it around a series of summer fairs in Sussex as well as the mammoth cross-country run.

To sponsor the Butchers, call 01825 765592.