University of Central Lancashire journalism student Caroline Innes may be used to writing the news - but now she has created her own after completing the equivalent of six marathons in a week.

Caroline overcame extreme heat to conquer the 151-mile Marathon des Sables, an endurance race across the Sahara Desert in Morocco.

The 26-year-old, who has been studying for a Postgraduate Diploma in Newspaper Journalism at the university's Department of Journalism, took part in the multi-marathon challenge together with her boyfriend, Eddie, in temperatures of up to 47C.

Caroline said: "As the temperature reached 47C my fingers swelled to the size of sausages.

"We both had rashes covering our hands and going up our arms and the weight of our packs was rubbing skin off our backs and shoulders."

Throughout the journey the couple had to carry supplies, including food, clothes, a medical kit and sleeping bag, on their backs in a rucksack, with much of the route covering uneven rocky ground.

By the fourth day Caroline had 11 blisters on one foot and eight on the other and the basic form of treatment was to cut off the loose skin and pour iodine over the raw flesh.

She said: "I had taken size seven trainers with me, even though I'm usually a four or a five, but I was having difficulty squeezing my bandaged feet into them."

Nevertheless she completed the exercise in running masochism and is now fully recovered and working shifts for the Daily Express.

Caroline said: "It was the experience of a lifetime. The question is what will we do next?"

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