TEARS of joy ran down the face of Dave Holby as he finished his row-around-the-world charity challenge.

The 29-year-old, of Rainham Close, Kempshott, was cheered on by hundreds of supporters as he pulled the final strokes on his rowing machine in The Malls shopping centre.

His 40,075km-challenge to row around the world on a static rowing machine took two years and seven months, raising more than £17,000 for Breakthrough Breast Cancer.

In an emotional thank-you speech, he dedicated his row to Finley Brown, a five-year-old boy who lost his mum Kelly Brown to the disease on Boxing Day last year.

For pictures and reaction to Dave’s record-breaking row, see The Gazette on Thursday.