An Ipswich man has called on Ed Sheeran to "help a fellow ginger" as he runs the London Marathon to raise cash for a cancer charity.

David Bolt is running the London Marathon this October in support of a friend who was recently diagnosed with cancer, and said: "I hope I can count on Ed Sheeran to help a fellow ginger and Ipswich Town fan by donating."

Mr Bolt is hoping to raise £2,000 for the Institute of Cancer Research.

"One of my closest friends was diagnosed with cancer fairly recently. He's had treatment and radiotherapy, but it was an incredibly tough experience," he said.

"It's not just him that's been affected, it's other people I know and the more money I raise from running the marathon the better."

The 26-year-old student will be returning for his second year at Middlesex University in September but is taking a quick detour to London at the beginning of the autumn semester.

As the London Marathon is usually held in April, runners have the chance to complete their training regimes over the winter months, but this year has been different.

Returning for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic, the event will be held at the beginning of October.

Mr Bolt said: "Training throughout the heatwaves has been pretty tough, but I've made it work.

"I usually run around where I live in North Ipswich late at night when it's much cooler."

Thus far, the closest David has come to his 26.2-mile target is 20 miles.

He added: "I've never done anything like this before, but it's a massive challenge and I've always wanted to do it."

Running as a charity entry, David hopes to raise £2,000 and has already received just under half of his target.

Donations have been flooding in on his Just Giving page, where his supporters have been posting messages of encouragement and gratitude.

Friends and family will be present to cheer him on from the sidelines on the day and David said he'll also be spurred on by the thought of raising money for a cause close to his heart.

Donations can be made here.