A Kendal team's bid to drive 10,000 miles to Mongolia came to a dramatic end after a crash in Kazakhstan.

Alex Ramsey and Paul Thomas, both 21, suffered cuts and bruises after their 18-year-old Nissan Micra - nicknamed 'Roxanne' - struck a rock in the middle of the road near Zharkent, some 7,000 miles into their epic journey.

The swerve took the car off the road and the bank somersaulted it on to the driver's side, on to its roof and the passenger side before it righted itself and came to a standstill 200 metres away, resting on the driver's side.

The car was a write-off and Alex and Paul spent three days completing paperwork with the authorities to allow them to scrap the vehicle. They visited the British Consulate in Almaty, which was very helpful and also served up tea and scones.

The duo, who earlier in the journey were accompanied by James Nowell, also 21, of Kendal, set off from Cumbria on July 12 and have travelled through Europe, across the Caspian Sea to Turkmenistan and then through Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and into Kazakhstan. They were aiming to raise £10,000 through the challenge and will donate the majority of the cash to Multiple Sclerosis UK - with £500 going to the environmental charity Cool Earth.

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They put out a message on Facebook to say: "Unfortunately this picturesque point in Kazakhstan signals the end of the road for Roxanne's adventure.

"It's fair to say this has been the adventure of a lifetime, experiencing extreme highs to more than balance out the lows. We have raised more than we ever expected for the fantastic charity Multiple Sclerosis Society, who have supported us every step of the way.

"Thank you to all that donated and we are sorry we have not made the finish line, but hope the 7,000 miles across some of the toughest terrain in 15 countries has been enough. Although at times, and now more than ever, this rally has been tough, it is nothing compared to the life-long condition of Multiple Sclerosis and you can still donate by heading to justgiving.com/MarcoYolo."

Despite the setback of the crash, Alex and Paul have decided to try to reach the Mongol Rally finish line. They flew to Moscow on Tuesday and today (Thursday) will catch the Trans-Siberian railway for a four-day journey across Russia to Ulan Ude, where the rally comes to an end.