BUS driver Bill Hanlon is an everyday hero.

The kind of guy who encourages his friends and colleagues and goes one step further by taking time out of his own leisure schedule to make their life better.

Bus drivers see a lot of Bolton during the day, but they do it all from the driving seat, and the effects of sitting in one place all day can be seriously bad for their health.

The physical effects of inactivity are plain for all to see: obesity, heart disease, diabetes, the list goes on. Bill, a driver with 25 years under his belt, knew that and took action to tackle it. He lost three stone by taking up running.

READ MORE: Meet the driver getting Bolton's bus depot on its feet

Since then he has been a bit of an evangelist for the fitness cause and when his colleagues saw the change in him and complained they too were overweight and unfit, he decided to take decisive action to help.

Bill set up a running club for his workmates, to help them overcome the negative health effects of sitting in one place all day.

He takes time out of his own schedule to take his colleagues running to help them to get fit and lose weight too. Encouragingly, he has a 'no man gets left behind' policy. That is such a boon for anyone whose nerves or size might put them off joining such a group.

The group will meet tomorrow at 6.30pm at the First Bus depot in Weston Street.

It's not restricted to bus drivers, so if you've been thinking of taking up exercise, why not give it a go?