A STRONGMAN will be matching his muscles against a rugby team, a fire engine and 80 children to raise funds for a food bank.

Jacob Fast, 24, will be testing his strength by pulling a 15-tonne fire engine single-handed through Fareham town centre on Saturday.

A team of a dozen adult players and another of 80 junior members from Fareham Heathens Rugby Club will also be attempting the challenge.

The event is being organised by Fareham Fire Station in partnership with Our Saviour Lutheran Church in Furzehall Avenue in Fareham, of which Jacob is a member.

Canadian-born Jacob said: “I’m looking forward to the challenge, although I am quite nervous at the same time.

“You have to use every single muscle in your body when pulling.”

Jacob, who started body building when he was 16, has pulled a single decker school bus before and is in the Guinness World Records book as one of a pair to pull the heaviest vehicle more than 100ft.

He and his brother Matthew set the record when they pulled three Canadian Fire trucks totalling 87 tonnes, last year in Ontario.

Tapani Simojoki, the pastor of the church, said: “We want to do a challenge that will help the community by using physical strength to communicate God’s love to them.”

Jacob will be attempting the feat on Saturday in West Street in Fareham at 3pm. The Heathens adult team will be be taking the strain at 1pm and the children’s team at 11am.