The Penkridge window cleaner has claimed to have run the 860 mile or so route in seven days, 18 hours and 45 minutes, shaving over 31 hours off the previous world record.

But top runners from across the country have called foul on the time, saying it was simply 'not possible'.

Mr Vaz is standing by his record and says he is in the process of sending the relevant information off to Guinness to get his world record ratified.

UPDATE: Mark Vaz now says he won't be contacting Guinness

He told the Express & Star: "All I feel now is sour grapes. I do not even need to comment on the allegations, I know my time and so do my support team who were there with me.

"I am still in the process of sending all the information off to Guinness, it takes awhile.

"I have closed my Facebook account as people are just trolling me.

"If people do not like what I have achieved then that is up to them.

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"The trolling is absolutely disgusting, I will never ever do anything for Penkridge again."

Gary Kiernan, an ultra runner who contributes to running website run247, said: "I have done a lot of long distance running, I know the course, I know what it takes out of you. For him it is just not possible. He is a middle of the pack social runner."

Mr Kiernan has penned an article about the now infamous run entitled 'JOGLE record smashed - or is it?' in which he calls into question Mr Vaz's achievement.

Asked if the best ultra runners in the world could complete the challenge in the Penkridge man's time, he said: "No. Some of the best have come close to the world record but never beaten it. For him to do it is inconceivable."

Popular marathon runner Robert Young, who has penned the book 'Marathon Man' and is currently in the US looking to run across the country and break a world record of his own, also called foul on Mr Vaz's claims.

He said: "It would have been close to beating the greatest runner ever Yiannis Kouros and that is not happening anytime soon. It just undermines the sport that we love."