A FIREFIGHTER from Edenbridge celebrated his 49th birthday with a chocolate bar on a small boat in the middle of the Atlantic.

Aldo Diana, of Four Elms Road, passed the milestone when just over halfway into an epic 3,000-mile row raising £75,000 for charity, but what he really wants is a banana baguette.

His girlfriend, Dawn Cameron, said problems with the boat had put the four-man crew of former Royal Marines a long way behind schedule, meaning supplies were running low.

Back home, Miss Cameron has kept in touch with her partner using a satellite phone and said: "They are very disappointed because they had hoped to be doing double the amount of miles they are currently doing per day.

"They have run out of chocolate bars, tea and coffee, They have plenty of main meals left – ration packs which they heat up in the bag – but all their nice things have gone."

As a birthday treat, colleagues Ken Maynard, Graham Witham and Jason Howard-Ady had saved a Snickers bar which Mr Diana devoured while unwrapping a pair of slippers, a gift from Miss Cameron.

Mr Diana said: "I won't forget this birthday. It was quiet, as I usually have a crowd of friends over, but I shall make up for it next year as it will be the big five-0. The fantastic number of birthday texts from friends at home almost crashed my phone's SIM card."

For fun, he and the crew had got carried away when they came across another vessel in the open waters.

"We tried to race a yacht to a drifting rowing boat that had been left by its crew. We got close, just moments away from having salvage rights," he said.

Asked what kept him going on the mission, he said: "I can't get off. But also the love of my fabulous girlfriend and the fact we are raising money for the Prostate Cancer Charity."

The team left the Canary Islands on December 15 and had hoped to arrive in Barbados this week. However, progress has been slow – which Mr Diana puts down to the boat's poor design – leaving them at least another three weeks in their craft HM&S Twiggy, sponsored by Marks & Spencer.

"I desperately want a packet of salt and balsamic vinegar flavored Kettle crisps, an ice cold Coca-Cola and a French stick banana sandwich – followed by a hot shower," said Mr Diana.

Though worried about her partner's safety, Miss Cameron said: "You have to get on with life, so you put on a brave face. It does make me think about how these poor women must feel with guys that are still in service when they go away for months on end.

"I would never stop him doing this kind of thing because I think it's fantastic. You've got to go for the things in life that you want to do, and this is an excellent cause."