A medic will be playing a vital role in the London Marathon - but insists that he "won't be running anywhere".

Ian Ward, 53, from Southampton, will be volunteering with St John Ambulance for the ninth year in a row.

He will be the clinical lead at four first aid units in the Isle of Dogs, between miles 14 and 21 of the course.

He will be supporting runners with first aid needs and helping to co-ordinate teams of first aiders, doctors, nurses, paramedics, and physiotherapists.

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Mr Ward, who is the lead GP at Practice Plus Group’s Urgent Treatment Centre in Southampton, said: "The elite runners speed past us at the start of the day, but it is many of the 56,000 or so runners (and walkers) who follow that will keep us busy.

"We deal with everything from dishing out Vaseline, treating blisters, to those who become unwell or collapse.

"We see and treat 3,000 to 5,000 patients on the day; of these about 1 per cent go to hospital."

Mr Ward has volunteered for St John Ambulance for more than 40 years.

He began as a cadet and over the years has held a number of voluntary medical roles for the service in Hampshire and across the UK.