THREE former servicemen and their friend are walking around 65 miles for a forces charity over the Easter weekend.

The ex-members of the 2nd Battalion Light Infantry are marching from Sunderland to Whitby for the Rifles charity, Care for Casualties.

Barry Dixon, from Grindon, Sunderland, Colin Todd, from Fatfield and Gary Richards, of Hebburn along with Jo Lishman from Washington, set off from Wearside today. (Friday, March 29)

Their first stop will be reached in Hartlepool this evening and they will set off for Loftus in East Cleveland in the morning.

Mr Dixon, 44, a factory worker who has served in Iraq, Germany, Northern Ireland and Bosnia, said: “We have had a couple of stops to treat our blisters because of the terrain, but the main thing that has held us up is people stopping us to give donations.

“The support we have had has been fantastic. People have been very generous.”

The first two days will be done wearing back packs but their gear will be taken by minibus to Whitby while the men do the last leg over the North Yorkshire moors without them.

At Whitby on Sunday they will meet former army PT instructor Paul ‘Coco’ Corcoran, who has done several gruelling challenges for the charity.

He will complete the journey by climbing 199 steps of Whitby Abbey with a wheelie bin on his back containing all of cash they collected on the way.

All money will be donated through his charity website.

To support the men log on to: www.justgiving.com/Coco-Cocoran-walks-the-Coast-to-Coast-carrying-everything-incl-the-Kitchen-Sink