A BEREAVED father will run every day for three weeks to get from John o'Groats to Land's End as part of a promise made to his late baby.

David Sawyer vowed in a letter to his precious daughter Charlotte that he would work hard to become "a better person" after she died during birth in 2015.

The Northern Echo: VOW: David Sawyer will take on 50 miles of running every day for three weeks as part of a promise made to his late daughter Charlotte Picture: CHRIS BOOTH

David Sawyer will take on 50 miles of running every day for three weeks as part of a promise made to his late daughter Charlotte Picture: CHRIS BOOTH

For the 44-year-old and his wife Collette, their little girl had come as a "miracle" following two decades of trying for a baby.

However, tragedy struck when Mrs Sawyer's placenta came away from Charlotte in her womb and she too nearly lost her life.

"I wrote a letter to her (Charlotte) explaining a lot of things and what I wanted to do - that I was going to make myself a better person and get myself fit," said Mr Sawyer. "I wanted to do the John o'Groats to Lands End. I'm not going to break a promise to my daughter."

In struggling to come to terms with the loss of Charlotte, the hospital chef, of Bishop Middleham, near Sedgefield, County Durham, looked to food for comfort.

The previous year he had dropped from 21 stones to 14 stones with Slimming World and was at his physical peak.

Following the death of a friend to breast cancer in 2014, Mr Sawyer for the first time took on an ultra-marathon, five marathons, five half marathons, five 10km runs and five 5km runs for charity.

In a bid to honour the vow made to baby Charlotte, he is determined to get back to his former slim self and has joined back with Sedgefield Slimming World at a starting weight of 19 stones.

Mr Saywer is combining healthy eating with a strict fitness regime with a personal trainer which involves running 30 miles on New Year's Day and a 55-mile race in the New Year.

"Obviously, I put a lot of weight on when we lost Charlotte," he added. "But the support I'm getting from Kimberley (Mearns, class consultant in Sedgefield) is brilliant.

"The aim is to start on Father's Day, June 18, at John o'Groats and July 6, when Charlotte was born, is when I have to finish," he added. "It's roughly about 50 miles a day."

At Lands End he will be met by wife Collette and their baby son Charlie, who was born in May this year.

Speaking about having Charlie, Mr Sawyer said: "We were very lucky to gain that second chance.

"We put it down to our Charlotte because we believe she is with us and that she brought him through."

Mr Sawyer will be raising funds for Sands, a stillbirth and neonatal death charity, which has given support to the grieving parents.

Anyone who would like to sponsor the father or donate, advise or offer support for his three-week challenge is asked to contact him directly via email at shaggysawyer@aol.com

To find out about joining Slimming World in Sedgefield contact Ms Mearns on 07792192293.