A DARLINGTON woman aged 80-years-old walked over 1,000 miles during lockdown causing her boots to wear out.

Valerie Denny from Darlington started counting the miles she walked back in April and has racked up 1,000 miles so far.

Walking 10 to 11 miles per day she wore out her walking boots and had to buy a new pair in order to finish her goal of 1,000 miles.

Valerie suffered from severe osteoporosis at the age of 53 and had a collapsed vertebrae, but she still continued to walk

Ms Denny said: "I started off doing around 20 miles a week and then I decided to aim for 500 and then 1,000 and managed to finish it the other day.

"I was relieved because I was exhausted! I’ve been doing 10-11 miles a day for the last three weeks which is quite tiring at my age.

“I was diagnosed with sever osteoporosis at 53, I had a collapsed vertebrae, and I wasn’t going to take it easy, even though I’d lost a third of the bone density in my spine and hips, I still carried on

"I don’t know what I would do if I couldn’t walk that has always been my best hobby.

"I walk everywhere now, I have a car but I don’t use it."

Ms Denny has been walking since she was 38 and is part of Cleveland Mountaineering Club.

She added: "Elderly people don’t have to shut themselves away, you can still carry on, even if the lockdown lasts a year.

"I go over to the lakes several times a year and do a bit but I’m getting a bit old for it, I can’t scramble around.

“It has worn me out a bit. I’ve been pushing myself that my boots wore out, they’re expensive too.

“I bought a cheap pair from Boyes that have been killing me, just to finish the last few miles.

“I didn’t bother counting the ones when lockdown first came in, it was only from April that I started counting, so I have probably done a bit more than 1,000.”