WOULD-be Lewis Hamiltons will be racing around Worcester's County Hall at the weekend.

There are now 11 teams taking part in the city's first official Soap Box Kart challenge on Sunday, June 17.

Teams from Worcester-shire County Council, the Sixty and Worcestershire Motor Club, Worcester Technical College and Kitchenworld have been hard at work designing and building their karts and will race against the clock to raise money for charity. Event co-ordinator Roger Blackburn said: "They are all gearing up to push their karts as fast as they can around a 500m course on the footpaths around County Hall. It's set to be a great day."

As well as an overall winner, there will be prizes for the Most Ridiculous Designed Kart and the Most Innovative Design.

Members of the public are invited to watch the free event which takes place between 12pm and 4pm and will raise vital funds for St Richard's Hospice, Worcester.

At the end of last year the hospice moved into its new £5.25m hospice in Wildwood Drive, Spetchley. Fund-raisers are generating the £3.2m needed to provide the ongoing specialist care and support for patients and families living with cancer and other life-threatening illnesses.