SNOOKER star Willie Thorne turned his attention to darts when he lent his support to a charity fundraising bid to play the longest ever match.

Shiny-headed Willie turned up at the Ampleforth Arms in Collinwood Road, Risinghurst, Oxford, yesterday to cheer on darts players John Penman, 46, a parking attendant, and John Goble, 30, the pub's bar manager.

The pair, dubbed the Oxford Johns, are more than four days into an attempt to play darts non-stop for eight days, while at the same time raising £50,000 for the Imperial Cancer Research Fund.

Willie met Mr Penman, of Blackbird Leys, at a marathon table-tennis match in Leicester a few years ago and said he was pleased to be invited to meet him again.

Mr Penman is having to wear a sling after pulling a muscle in his left arm, but Willie reckons the men are on their way to reaching their aim.

He said: "I can't believe how fresh they look. There aren't even bags under their eyes."

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