A CHARITY hiker who is criss-crossing the country to raise funds for British troops has arrived in the North-East as part of his 3,000 mile walk.

Tony Bailey is taking on the challenge for the Help for Heroes charity, which supports servicemen and women in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The 38-year-old ex-builder from Burgess Hill, West Sussex, started out on his hike on February 13 from Lizard Point, Cornwall, and will finish at Dunnet Head, in northern Scotland, some time in July.

The walk will also take in the three peaks of Snowdon, Ben Nevis and Scafell Pike, as well as four Scottish isles Arran, Islay, Jura and Skye.

Mr Bailey said: “I devised the walk myself. This walk will be the hardest walk anyone could do in the country and could carry on up to 3,000 miles.”

He is living on Army rations and sleeps outside rather than in hotels, bunking on golf courses and in sheltered smoking areas of pubs. He relies on the knowledge of locals rather than using maps.

Mr Bailey has received plenty of support from people while on his walk. A landlord in Congleton, Cheshire, supplied him with secondhand steel cap toe boots which helped him reach Darlington this weekend. He then headed for Hartlepool, and yesterday set off for Whitehaven, in Cumbria.

So far, he has raised £2,000 at home and is raising more money via collection tins that he carries on his backpack.

Help for Heroes works to provide support and treatment for wounded troops, paying for facilities such as the Headley Court rehabilitation complex in Surrey.

Anyone who would like to support Mr Bailey can visit justgiving.com/tonybailey1.

Mr Bailey also invites anyone with any questions to contact him on 07731-443585.