A 71-year-old Lancashire man has become the oldest person ever to complete a Bob Graham Round.

Ken Taylor, from Rossendale, took on the popular Lake District challenge, a 66-mile, 27,000-ft circuit of the highest peaks in the national park, with the only rule being it must be completed within 24 hours.

Mr Taylor, a member of the Rossendale Harriers club, has been running on fells since he was 28, but always put off taking on the Bob Graham Round previously.

The decision to finally take on the challenge was made when plans to compete abroad with son Brendan collapsed.

"That's when I thought it was finally time to do the Bob Graham," said Mr Taylor, a retired architect."

At midnight on June 30, Mr Taylor set off and completed the round in 22 hours and 21 minutes, becoming the oldest person ever to complete the challenge.

"It wasn't too much of a struggle to be honest," he said. "I managed it with relative ease but there were a few stages where it got quite difficult. I never once felt like I wanted to drop out."

Mr Taylor said it gave him a huge sense of pride to have become the oldest person to complete the round.

"It feels great," he said. "I don't think it's quite sunk in for me just yet. It's quite an achievement at this age and everybody has been reminding me of that fact but it's fantastic."