A CHARITY walker has ticked off another milestone during his mammoth 7,000-mile trek round the coastline of the British Isles.

Brian Burnie, the founding member of Daft as a Brush Cancer Patient Care, now only has the English coast to tackle after completing the Welsh instalment of his walk which he is undertaking to encourage other areas of the UK to provide free transport to cancer patients, as has been so successful under his stewardship in the North-East. His aim is to create one million free journeys across the nation.

Mr Burnie has already walked around Scotland and the 870 miles around Wales has taken the total number of miles to 4,600, which is no mean feat for the 75-year-old battling with Parkinson’s Disease.

Walking up to 20 miles five days a week has been punishing on him, but he was determined to push on to meet his target of returning to his native North-East by Christmas.

While walking from Anglesey and the Wales Coast Path, Mr Burnie and his wife Cheryl were invited to meet hospital staff and managers to discuss the service.

He said: “The Wales Coast Path has been truly outstanding, a real gem to discover. But the weather has been against me at times slowing my progress. Living on a double decker bus can be challenging in winter, but Cheryl and I are determined to complete the three-year trek.

“The reaction from hospital staff, oncologists and radiographers in Wales has been unbelievable, everyone loves what we do in the North-East.”

Daft as a Brush Cancer Patient Care transports 45,000 patients each year, with a team of over 350 volunteers operating a fleet of 30 ambulances.