A COMMITTED fundraiser has completed a gruelling eight-week walk involving 300 bridges, 14 ferries and more than 30,000 steps for charity.

Jim Bray, from Sampford Peverell near Tiverton, started his trek, called Jim’s Journey, from Minehead in Somerset on June 10.

The 630-mile journey along the South West coast path ended at South Haven Point in Dorset on August 4.

Mr Bray said: “It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience and I’m very glad I decided to do it.

“Some of the scenery is beautiful and awe-inspiring and you can only see the most spectacular views by walking, quite often up steep hills or along difficult terrain.

“I particularly liked the unique features of North Devon, the pretty green cliffs of North Cornwall, the rocky coastline around St Ives and the closing stretch through Dorset.

“It was challenging at times, mentally as much as physically, but my legs seemed to get programmed into walking up to 15 or 20 miles a day and as time went by I stopped feeling tired.

“The weather was fairly kind overall and I managed to stay healthy, despite having sore feet at times and a few aches, pains, bites and stings.”

Although Mr Bray considers himself to have had a healthy journey, two days before the end he lost a tooth while eating a full English breakfast. He managed to have a fry-up every single morning throughout his journey and ended each day with a cider.

The journey was planned in aid of two charities, Force cancer charity and Over and Above.

The former NHS press officer returned home to a surprise after completing the mammoth trek, as he was greeted by a letter from Kingston Council claiming he had been caught making an illegal turn on July 10, when he was more than 200 miles away and hadn’t driven a car since the start of June.

Mr Bray took to Facebook to address the situation, and asked that the council make a donation to him as a form of apology. A donation of £100 from NSL Services, Kingston Council’s contractor, can now be seen on Mr Bray’s fundraising page.

 More than £7,000 has been raised so far, and donations are still welcome on his Virgin Money Giving page: http://bit.ly/2aNbELt.