LONGEST TAXI TRIP: The £79,006 taxi journey around the world

Have you ever wondered what the longest taxi ride recorded in the UK is? Well, you might be surprised to learn that it was not just a trip across London, but a journey around the world!

That's right, three friends from England decided to take a 20-year-old black cab named Hannah on an epic adventure that lasted 15 months and covered 43,319.5 miles (69,716.12 km) across four continents and 50 countries. They broke the Guinness World Records for the longest ever journey by taxi and the highest altitude ever reached by taxi.

The trio, Paul Archer, Johno Ellison and Leigh Purnell, started their journey in Covent Garden, London, in February 2011 and finished at the same point in May 2012. Along the way, they faced many challenges and dangers, such as being arrested in Moscow, detained by the Iranian Secret Police, deported from Iran as suspected spies, stuck on the border of Moldova and driving through war zones in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

They also had some amazing experiences, such as seeing the Northern Lights in Finland, passing Mount Everest in the Himalayas, visiting the Taj Mahal in India, driving along Route 66 in the USA and meeting celebrities like Boris Johnson and Ranulph Fiennes.

The friends said they did it for fun and to raise money for the British Red Cross. They collected £20,000 for the charity and paid £79,006.80 on the meter.