Wiltshire darter breaks world record for most points thrown in 12 hours after incredible effort

In an impressive demonstration of endurance and dedication, Wiltshire darter Tom Barkham has set the Guinness World Record for the highest number of points scored on a dartboard over 12 hours.

The attempt took place on Saturday at The Carter's Rest pub, where the 41-year-old school administrator threw his darts with a goal of 160,000 points. In the end, he finished the marathon with a stunning total score of 166,612 points.

The record attempt was not only a sporting challenge, but also a benefit: Barkham was raising money for Prospect Hospice, a local hospital in Wiltshire. "I've never done anything like this before," he laughed to the BBC afterwards. "It feels like someone injected concrete into my calves my right arm is somewhat non-existent."

"I started off terribly, I think the nerves got to me, and then at the end of the first hour I was about 30 mins ahead of schedule," Barkham continued. "At around 6pm I was taking my socks and shoes off to get some feeling back into my feet. I thought, 'Am I going to get this done?', then I caught a second wind and powered through."

Leading up to the attempt, Barkham trained intensively for weeks at the expense of time with his family. "It's not been easy for my family so I think they'll be happy to have me to themselves now," he said. "At the end my daughter ran over and gave me a hug."

After twelve hours of continuous throwing, Barkham was festively celebrated with champagne, but the exhaustion was palpable. "I was so tired and in pain," he admitted. "The feeling was more of relief than excitement - I was so tired."

When asked if he would attempt such a record again in the future, he was resolute: "It's not something I'll do again. I've been playing darts for over 20 years, but I'm going to take some time off now."