FRENCH teacher Veronique Haynes from Farnham is approaching £1,000 raised for local charity Help4Harry after running the Great South Run dressed as a giant ‘poo’ last month.

The 34-year-old mum-of-two completed the 10-mile course in Portsmouth and Southsea in just under an hour and a half on October 21 - and certainly turned a few heads with her choice of costume.

Prior to the run, Veronique asked William Cobbett School boy Harry Barnley - whose charity Help4Harry is raising money for Muscular Dystrophy UK - what he would like her to dress up as.

But unknown to Veronique, Harry, who is himself battling the cruel muscle wasting condition Duchenne muscular dystrophy, had just watched summer box office hit The Emoji Movie and instantly thought of his favourite character, Poop.

“I couldn’t have wished for a better outfit, it is a credit to Harry to have chosen such a unique and popular character,” said Veronique, ever the good sport.

“There were a lot of charity runners and many were dressed as superheroes. I was the one and only poo! I was cheered on so much, the kids loved it and it seems that dressing up as a poo made me run like the wind!”

Despite her cumbersome outfit, Veronique smashed her 10km, 15km and 10 mile personal bests with a very respectable time of one hour, 29 minutes and 43 seconds.

“I didn’t even notice how fast I was going as I was having so much fun high-fiving children and generally soaking up the atmosphere,” she continued.

“The last two miles were very windy but I had the most hilarious moment when I caught up with the charity runner for Crohns and Colitits. He was walking in an equally cumbersome outfit and I tried to get him going again, telling him he couldn’t let poo beat him. Everyone was in hysterics.”

Veronique has raised just over £900 for Help4Harry via her online fundraising page at www.justgiving.com/fundraising/haynes2017, and is now appealing for help to break the £1,000 mark.

For more information about Veronique’s cause visit the websites www.help4harry.co.uk and www.musculardystrophyuk.org.