Blind Dave Heeley locks away OBE and is concentrating on escaping from Colditz

Dave was named in the 2020 Queen's Birthday Honours list but only picked the gong up from Princess Royal at Windsor Castle last week.

However, he is now consumed with his latest challenge, which is escaping from the notorious former Nazi prison camp Colditz in Germany and cycling back to West Bromwich Albion's Hawthorns stadium.

Dave told the Express & Star: "I have put my OBE in the safe and now am concentrating on my adventure in April, which was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 because of Covid.

"After the war, Colditz was an eye infirmary so it makes sense for a blind bloke to escape from there and ride back to the Hawthorns."

All the money raised will be going to West Bromwich Albion's charity foundation and Dave has already enlisted 10 hardy souls to ride with him.

He said: "We will be escaping from Colditz and then riding three days through Germany into Holland and then back through England to Meriden which is the headquarters of my sponsors Pertemps.

"We will be then riding back with lots of people, including West Midlands Mayor Andy Street to the Hawthorns."

Dave has spent more than a decade raising money for local charities through running all over the world, including doing seven marathons on seven continents in seven days, and had a film Seven released about his exploits last year.

The avid West Bromwich Albion fan passed the £3 million mark which have mainly been given to good causes in the Black Country.

Dave, aged 64, is also a DIY expert, despite being blind, and presents a radio show on RNIB Connect giving people handy tips.