V-c takes to YouTube in search of heroes

Dominic Shellard, of Leicester's De Montfort University, is hoping to create the world's biggest ever "lip-synching flashmob" - and is enlisting the help of his university colleagues and students in order to achieve his goal.

Flashmobs are groups of people who - unknown to the public - assemble in a pre-determined spot to perform an organised show, such as a dance routine.

In Professor Shellard's case, he is hoping to raise money by bringing together 5,000 people to mime along to 1980s rock classic "Holding Out For A Hero" by Bonnie Tyler.

The event's profile has been boosted by a Mission Impossible spoof posted on YouTube in which, rather confusingly, the vice-chancellor appears as a would-be hero not unlike Bond villain Ernst Stavro Blofeld, complete with cat and revolving chair.

In it, the vice-chancellor is given a "mission": to break the world "lip-dubbing" record by gathering 5,000 students at the university's Magazine Square to simultaneously mime along to Bonnie Tyler. With a flamboyant click of his mouse, the challenge is accepted. It is due to take place on 7 November.

On his Just Giving page, which will take donations for the challenge, Professor Shellard says: "We have come up with the idea of doing a flash mob/lip dub music video where I would like as many staff and students to be involved in order to break a world record for the most number of people involved.

"So come on, do something out of the ordinary...and help us do something amazing for charity."

Professor Shellard is raising money for local hospice care charity LOROS, and ProstAid, a charity that offers support, information and awareness of prostate cancer. To donate, visit www.justgiving.com/DMU-VCFlashMob.

chris.parr@tsleducation.com