Ex-parachute regiment officer eyes rowing record

Mike Ellicock, from Lewes in East Sussex, set off on WednesdayA former parachute regiment officer has set off on his attempt to break the record for a solo row around Great Britain, aiming to honour his former colleagues.

Mike Ellicock, from Lewes in East Sussex, was wounded in action during a hostage rescue in Sierra Leone in 2000, when he was a 25-year-old parachute regiment platoon commander.

The father-of-three, now 49, is attempting to make history by completing the challenge in less than 80 days.

"I turn 50 this year and to 'celebrate' I thought it would be a good idea to attempt to break the record for rowing around Great Britain," he said.

He set off from Newhaven in a Canadian-designed…