A FORMER Army officer who lost his right arm and leg in a landmine explosion passed through County Durham yesterday as part of a 1,000-mile sponsored walk.

Chris Moon is hoping to raise £1m by walking the equivalent of two marathons a day from John O'Groats to Land's End.

He aims to complete the feat in only 25 days to raise cash for the UK's leading disability charity Leonard Cheshire.

One Walk: One Man, One Foot, One Thousand Miles is an astonishing test of physical stamina for 41-year-old Mr Moon.

Despite having a prosthetic limb, yesterday he walked from Whitley Bay to Teesside via Newcastle, Gateshead, Chester-le-Street, Durham and Stockton.

He is due to finish the walk at Land's End on June 29.

Mr Moon said: "I am keen to show that disabled people have dreams and aspirations like the rest of the population and that we can all achieve our goals, given the right opportunity and support.

"I'm taking on the One Walk challenge for Leonard Cheshire because no one goes further to support disabled people."

He will travel across 1,284 miles, take an average of 78,000 steps a day, walk the equivalent of 17,120 football pitches, cover 50 marathons in total and notch up 100 hours of sleep deprivation during the challenge.

In 1995, he was caught in a blast in a mine-cleared area in Mozambique.

He lost his lower right arm and leg.

Less than a year after leaving hospital he completed the London Marathon and since then he has undertaken a series of tough physical challenges.

Mr Moon, who is married with two children, also survived abduction by the Khmer Rouge, negotiating his release and that of two Cambodian colleagues from a remote jungle base.

To make an instant £1 donation, text the word Onewalk to 88010 for the cost of a normal text message.