DEVIZES vicar Chris Tebbutt is swapping pews for loos.

Mr Tebbutt, of St James' Church, Southbroom, is to run the Bath Half Marathon on Sunday and will be raising money to refurbish the toilets at the Parish Centre, in Victoria Road.

Mr Tebbutt, who is married with three children, is a familiar sight in Devizes running with his pet dog Branston, a border terrier.

He's a keen runner but has only taken part in a handful of half marathons and has never attempted the popular Bath Half Marathon.

He said: "The last half marathon I ran was the Bournemouth half marathon and I completed it in one hour 54 minutes.

"I'm hoping to run the Bath Half Marathon in under two hours."

Mr Tebbutt, who has been at St James' Church for almost three years, runs regularly with the Hickey Harriers, a group of runners set up by Barry Hickey, the headteacher of St Joseph's Primary School in Devizes.

'Mr Tebbutt is appealing for people to sponsor him in the Bath Half Marathon.

The cost of refurbishing the Parish Centre toilets is £5,000.

Mr Tebbutt, 47, said: "I didn't want any money to be raised to be just for a church based project, but rather something that would benefit the community so when I heard our church treasurer lamenting the estimate for the new loo, I thought it sounded like a worthy cause."

Mr Tebbutt said the Parish Centre is well used by community groups including Scouts, people with learning difficulties and craft groups, but the toilet facilities are not up to standard.

He said: "The Parish Centre is very accessible for people with disabilities as the access is on one level and has wide doorways but the loos have always been a problem. They are old fashioned and need to be updated."

To sponsor Mr Tebbutt, call him on (01380) 723891 or sign the sponsorship form on the noticeboard in the church.