THE North-East's strongest man has qualified to represent Britain in the world championships.

Mark McLoughlin, 41, originally from Peterlee but now living in Stockton, came second in the over-40s category in the UK Strongman Championships.

That means he has qualified to represent his country in the world championships to be held in Belfast in August.

Mr McLoughlin, a married father-of-one, explained that his best event is pure lifting of dead weights. He is one of the few men in the world who can lift a 400kilo (900lb) dead weight over his head, that is about the quarter of the weight of an average car or about the same as the fattest people who have ever lived. Other events include pulling a truck and lifting 'Atlas' stone big boulders.

The security guard at Middlesbrough's James Cook University Hospital, said he took part in competitions about ten years ago for a couple of years, coming 12th in the England's strongest man competition, but gave it up until last year when he started competing in the over-40s categories. He eats about a kilo of steak every day but also eats a lot of fish and other protein foods. He explained that body builders have a more regimented diet because they care more about how they look, whereas strongmen only care about foods the help them build up actual strength. He trains every day but has specialised training in Consett once a week.

He said: "As a youngster I was a judo champion and then became a runner and a swimmer. Eddie Hall, Britain's strongest man, was the same. You just need to get into a sport to build a good body, strong tendons and so on."

Mr McLouglin explained that his son, Adam, four, was aware his dad was a strong man. "He takes cuttings off the paper and takes them into school saying, 'my daddy is strong,'" he said.