A SOUTHAMPTON veteran is hoping to raise £15,000 for charity after he runs the London Marathon this year.

Ian Haberfield, 39, has already taken on four thigh-burning mountain treks in aid of armed forces charity SSAFA, which provides lifelong support to people who do or previously served in the armed forces, and their families.

But now he is pledging to add on to the £10,000 he has already raised to raise awareness of the support available.

It comes after many of his friends "took their own lives due to PTSD [post traumatic stress disorder] and other demons".

Ian, who used to be an army air helicopter communications specialist, has already travelled to Iceland, Nepal and Morocco to complete a variety of treks.

He said: "Luckily I was offered a place in the marathon with SSAFA, so I took the opportunity. It's my first time and I'm not a regular runner - I don't like running so I'm stepping out of my comfort zone and doing a lot of training.

"I'm an ex-soldier myself and lots of my friends took their own lives due to PTSD and other demons. If you had to ask someone to name three armed forces charities, they couldn't do that, and this is the oldest military charity in the world.

Ian added: "This is about getting awareness out that veterans do have support out there.

"It's not just a one-trick-pony charity as they do everything to support you, even if it was just your washing machine broken. They help you with your finances, too. I've got a passion for helping them."

Ian will be running the London Marathon on April 26.

To donate, visit https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/ian-haberfield.