Kevin Nicks 'sets speed record for fastest wheelbarrow'

A man who set a land speed record with a motorised shed believes he has set a new record by travelling at 44.6mph (77kph) behind a wheelbarrow.

Kevin Nicks, from Chipping Norton in Oxfordshire, built the "Barrow of Speed" during the coronavirus lockdown.

The 55-year-old gardener recorded the speed at a Straightliners event at Elvington Airfield, North Yorkshire.

He said the souped-up wheelbarrow was the "most bizarre thing ever to ride".

"Every journey on it is not just going fast in a straight line, you're trying to avoid crashing, which is great," he said.

"The adrenaline rush is unbelievable."

Mr Nicks' record is yet to be verified by Guinness World Records, who set him a base speed to beat of 42.5mph.

However, Straightliners who are specialists in land speed records have confirmed his speed.

Mr Nicks will drive the "Barrow of Speed" again in six weeks time for Guinness World Records

Mr Nicks previously built a motorised shed which clocked 101.581mph (163.487kph) at Pendine Sands, Carmarthenshire, during a speed event in 2018.

The inventor said he built the wheelbarrow to inspire others to be creative and distract them from bad news surrounding the pandemic.

"For me, it's rewarding to see the smiles on people's faces," he said.

Mr Nicks said plans for his next invention were "really bonkers" but he has not disclosed the details yet.