The former mayor of Truro will travel 30 miles a day in his electric wheelchair to raise vital funds for Cornwall Air Ambulance Trust (CAAT).

Steven Webb has embarked on a 500-mile journey around Cornwall's perimeter as part of the Cornwall 500 challenge - the first person to take it on.

A driving accident in 1991 left him severely paralysed, before CAAT flew him to the Duke of Cornwall spinal unit when his condition took a turn for the worse.

Now, he is committed to helping the trust reach their £2.85 million #HELi2 campaign goal, which aims to fund a second helicopter.

He hopes to raise £20,000 from his challenge, contributing to the over £1 million already collected by the charity.

(Image: CAAT)

Mr Webb said: “It’s 33 years since I broke my neck, and the Cornwall Air Ambulance was instrumental in saving my life.

"Without the air ambulance I would have ended up in the back of an ambulance for about 12 hours travelling to Salisbury, the specialist spinal unit, travelling about 15 miles an hour.

"The air ambulance was able to fly me in just over an hour with a paramedic, keeping me safe.”

His Cornwall 500 challenge was publicly launched last month and on Sunday Truro and Falmouth MP Jayne Kirkham, current Truro mayor Carol Swain and mayoress Sarah Douglas-Martin, together with town crier Lionel Knight and his wife Carole, joined representatives from Cornwall Air Ambulance and sponsors Coodes solicitor at the Alverton Hotel to cheer him on.

Whilst just under £2,000 has been collected so far, he hopes residents and businesses will help him reach the total goal.

Supporters can donate via his JustGiving page, www.justgiving.com/page/steven-webb-thecornwall500 with more details found on the Cornwall 500 website.

Tim Bunting, CEO of CAAT, reported: “Last year was 10 per cent busier than 2022, and May this year was the busiest on record for our air ambulance crews.

“It’s now that we need two aircraft in Cornwall to be able to save even more lives.”

(Image: CAAT)

Karen Hurn, head of fundraising and philanthropy at CAAT, added: “To think that Steven has chosen us is just overwhelming for us all.

"The whole team are behind us, and we know he's going to smash both the challenge and his fundraising target.

"Let’s keep this service running for another 33 years.”

Mr Webb continued: “I'm so passionate about this challenge. I'm going to love being out on the road."

To keep track of Mr Webb and to support his fundraiser for Cornwall Air Ambulant Trust, people have been urged to follow Cornwall 500's social media channels and local media outlets.