Afghanistan veteran starts challenge to drag 6ft poppy 200km around Cornwall

AN AFGHANISTAN veteran has set off from Penzance on a 200km tour of Cornwall dragging a 6ft plastic poppy as a symbol of military sacrifice.
Squadron Leader Shaun Pascoe, with the help of teams from the Armed Forces, will pull the poppy 500m for every service man or woman killed in the conflict.
Setting off from Penzance War Memorial this morning the RAF St Mawgan service man, who leads the medical emergency response team in Afghanistan, is aiming to get to Camborne by 3pm today.
His 124mile journey will see him head to Launceston via Newquay and then to Truro via St Austell, paying his respects at war memorials en route.
He is aiming to arrive in Truro on November 3 at 2.30pm where he will be greeted at Lemon Quay by Cornwall's own military wives' choir, The Culdroses.
Speaking as he was about to set off, Squadron Leader Pascoe said he hoped the journey would raise awareness of the Cornwall Royal British Legion and the Poppy Appeal.
He said: "The legion for me is a charity with a very personal approach with how they support people, whether they have done a year or 22 years' service.
"The legion is there for all of those who have and do serve our country," he added.
"The conflict they served in is irrelevant to this important charity, which has stood, and will continue to stand, shoulder to shoulder with the service community."
Mr Pascoe will be at the following town war memorials on these days at 3pm: Tuesday, October 30, Newquay; Wednesday, October 31, Bodmin; Thursday, November 1, Launceston; Friday, November 2, St Austell.
Daily journeys during the event sponsored by distribution company Dash South West are expected to take place from 9am to 3pm.