Will Young's twin takes on Thames in pedalo

Pop Idol winner Will Young's twin brother passed through the area yesterday on a mission with meaning involving a pedalo expedition down the Thames.

Rupert Young has taken his pedalo along the Thames past Marlow, Cookham, Maidenhead, Windsor and Datchet as part of his epic 133 mile journey which has seen him joined by supporters including adventurer Bear Grylls and novelist Sebastian Faulkes.

However this was no mere pleasure paddle as Rupert was raising money for The Mood Foundation, a charity he has set up to help those afflicted by depression.

Speaking from moorings at King's Cruisers in Datchet, where he was joined by X-Factor presenter Dermot O'Leary for the next leg of his journey, Rupert described his personal reasons for undertaking the journey, as he endured a decade long battle with depression.

He said: "I was financially supported by my family and I recovered, I felt that other people should be able to get the same assistance. I wanted to get out the message that its OK to ask for help."