A PAIR of motorists are on their way to the Arctic Circle - in a 50-year-old sports car.

Peter Pierce, 64, and his driving companion, Adrian Richmond, 52, have set off in their 1958 Triumph TR3A sports car from Harwich.

The men, both classic car enthusiasts, will be completing the Les Gower Memorial Run in memory of a close friend who died last year.

Les Gower died at the age of 82 after suffering from Parkinson's disease from his mid-70s.

They took their pillar-box-red Triumph on to the Esbjerg ferry and drove across Denmark to Sweden.

Taking turns at the wheel, they travelled to Oslo in Norway, then to the edge of the Arctic Circle.

They are then due to drive back through Norway, before catching the ferry across the North Sea to Newcastle.

They are expected to arrive home on Monday.

The drive is raising funds for the Parkinson Disease Society in memory of Mr Gower.

Mr Pierce said: "I've always wanted to go to Norway because everyone says it's a lovely place to drive through.

"We've chosen the Parkinson charity because a very dear friend of mine died of the disease, so we thought we would do it as a bit of a holiday and to raise money."

The Triumph has done 30,000 miles since Mr Pierce bought it 41/2 years ago, and although the car is in good condition, the pair have spare parts just in case.