BICESTER traffic policeman Mark Howard has mushed into the record books as one of the first people to dog-trek across the north American continent from coast to coast.

Against all the odds the five-strong team, led by former cancer patient Wendy Smith, arrived at Skagway on the west coast of Alaska on Sunday.

It took them four months to cover 4,500 miles of frozen terrain in a bid to raise £200,000 for Cancer Research.

They had to overcome many setbacks, including running out of snow, a near mutiny from the husky dogs and a cash crisis that threatened to halt the historic trip.

It has also been the warmest winter over there this century, due to the disruptions caused by a freak weather system known as El Nino.

Speaking from Alaska, Mark, 34, an accident investigator at Bicester traffic police, said: "I couldn't quite make up my mind how to feel, so I didn't feel much at all. It was as though it was just another day. Perhaps it'll sink in a bit when there's time to think.

"But anyway, well done Wendy, a truly incredible achievement."

They still have another 1,500 miles ahead of them before reaching their intended destination of Unalakleet on the Bering Sea, the most westerly point of Alaska.

They started the epic 6,000-mile journey from the east coast US state of Maine on November 15 last year and passed the 1,000-mile mark on New Year's Eve.

Workmate Sgt Mick Sanders believed Mark's chirpy character had helped pull the team through.

"He has always been a man of great dedication and enthusiasm," he said.

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