The rules of the 4,000-mile race are that contestants can spend a maximum of £100 on their vehicle and the aim is just to finish.

Greg McBride and Paul Osborne returned last week from the rally, having set out from Bath on Boxing Day.

The pair raised £6,000 for charity and were amongst 40 competitors.

Round trip

They were the only team to win the golden spanner for adhering to the spirit of the rally.

The men told the BBC that crossing the Sahara was the hardest part of the trek - but they also had to negotiate a minefield and were impounded by the Senegalese police.

The challenge now is to take the car around the world.

Mr Osbourne told the BBC: "By popular demand we decided to save the car: it has been retired to a campsite in Senegal."