Moment 'adrenaline junkie' is set on fire before pulling two-tonne car across Wakefield storage yard

A daredevil dad reckons he has become the first person in the UK to complete a car pull while on fire.

John Stephenson, 50, hauled a two-tonne American police car, which was used in the film Supergirl, 20 metres (65ft) across a West Yorkshire storage yard after his head was set on fire.

The strongman completed the death-defying stunt on March 13 just weeks after he set another record by pulling a Seat Leon - with his testicles.

John, of Spalding, Lincolnshire, doused himself in lighter fuel before being set ablaze at the yard in Wakefield, and pulling the Dodge Cruiser for around 30 seconds.

The painter and decorator said he wanted to come with a new challenge to test his limits while also raising important awareness of men’s mental health issues.

John said: "People might think I'm barmy but I like to push myself to the limit. I'm certain this has never been done before in the UK. There was no real practice run, I just got on with it. My mate buys American cars that have been in movies and rents them out so I thought I should pull this one in style.

"I had one hoodie doused in lighter fuel with another one over it, but no other protection that that. I'm not sure if it hurt more than the testicle pull to be honest - I don't either are advisable. But there was probably a bit more adrenaline pumping through my system with this one.

"No long term damage was done with either but I would say do not try either at home. I have been doing stunts for a long time and they are carried out as safely as possible.

"When the flames took hold a bit I just ripped off my clothes. People may say I'm bonkers but I'm just a bit of an adrenaline junkie.

"I also want to use these challenges to encourage men to look after themselves. Men especially aren't very good at talking I find and I think they should reach out and talk more. I always say that men who talk can heal, so there was an important message to get across also."

Following his testicle tug, martial arts expert and former bare knuckle fighter said he was left with "purple plums" but "everything in tact".

John said: "Afterwards, my plums were bright purple but I’m still firing on all cylinders and everything is in tact. My partner wasn't too worried about the aftermath - she was just very supportive of what I was doing. I’m the first and only man in the UK to ever achieve it. But if you never try these things, how do you know if you can do it or not."

John has previously pulled the A-Team van, the 1969 Dodge Charge 'General Lee' car from the Dukes of Hazzard as well as a police car and ambulance used in TV shows The Bill and Casualty.

The kickboxer is also an author and has previously been inducted into a number of Martial Arts Halls of Fame. He holds a world record for reeling off 300 punches in 30 seconds, all while holding 1kg dumbbells in each hand.

Other records to his name through Official Record Breakers involve performing six martial arts kicking techniques in less than five-and-a-half seconds and a number involving pulling or lifting vehicles.

He said: "I’m always trying to challenge and push the boundaries of what I can and can’t do physically. Everything I do, I do it as a legacy for my children so they can look back once I've gone and see what sort of man I was."