SUPER-PENSIONER George Lawson is set to 'fly' across Weymouth Harbour dressed as a witch when he becomes the oldest competitor in the town's intrepid birdman contest.

Mr Lawson, 69, of Dorchester Road, will be taking part in the event during Bank Holiday Monday's Weymouth trawler race event.

Most people retire to take life a bit easier but former plastics chemist Mr Lawson is tackling the birdman contest as part of an action-packed weekend.

He will also be running in the 10-kilometre Egdon Easy run, exhibiting artwork and going to a Queen tribute concert.

Mr Lawson said: "My broom is guaranteed to fly 30ft although whether this is horizontal or vertical remains to be seen.

"I may be 69 but I don't believe in taking things easy, and two days before the birdman contest I will be taking part in the 10km run.

"I am the oldest member of the Weymouth athletics club, Egdon Heath Harriers, and the run they are organising involves running round the RSPB reserve at Lodmoor."

As if all that were not enough, Mr Lawson is a highly unusual artist who uses his skills as a plastics chemist to produce pictures using melted clear plastic mixed with oil-based pigments to create landscapes, seascapes and portraits.

He said: "I am a member of the Mustard Seeds art group based at St Mary's Church in St Mary Street, Weymouth.

"They are currently running an exhibition there of our artwork, and once in a while a member is allowed to have an entire wall of paintings for exhibition.

"That member this time is me and I am displaying more than 20 paintings.

"The most interesting one is a picture I have made from used teabags and pennies in the image of a tree."

Mr Lawson is even finding time to fit something else in between his run and his birdman appearance as a witch and will be going to Weymouth Pavilion for the tribute night to rock stars Queen.

He said: "I just like all music and I think it promises to be a great night, definitely. We'll be rocking in the aisles."

Mr Lawson also has some unusual ideas on keep-fit training and recently ran up and down an extinct volcano on Lanzarote, collecting a piece of volcanic rock on the way as memento.

He said: "The views were lovely, although a bit drier and a bit warmer than I'll be on Monday."

That said, the incredible Mr Lawson is no stranger to cold, having already tackled a freezing swim across Weymouth Harbour on Christmas Day 2003.