Longest cab ride... 32,000 miles and a £54,000 fare

Three British friends have clocked up a world record £54,000 taxi fare by travelling from London to Australia in a black cab.

Paul Archer, Johno Ellison and Leigh Purnell have broken the Guinness World Record for the longest cab journey with their 10-month odyssey through Europe, Russia, the Middle East, India, China and south-east Asia.

The trio, all in their twenties, bought the car on eBay, nicknamed it "Hannah" and drove it 32,000 miles across three continents, 41 countries, and 10 time zones before arriving today in Cairns, northern Queensland, and setting off for Sydney, their final destination.

They hope to raise £20,000 for the Red Cross. Mr Archer, 24, from Cirencester, said they came up with the idea after a night out in London and a cab ride "that seemed like the longest ever". They hope to write a book about their trip "before we get mortgages and real jobs back in England".