A VETERAN has raised £4,000 for Macmillan after taking on a gruelling marathon-length walk on the Northumbrian coast.

David Livingstone, 50, completed the 26.7 mile walk from Alnwick Castle to Bamburgh, Northumberland at the end of June, and with the help of his local pub, the Holly Hill Inn, Richmond, held a silent auction to raise as much cash as possible.

He said: "It took just over nine hours to complete the walk. I wanted to do the walk because I know a lot of people who have been diagnosed recently with cancer, and was inspired to do something to raise some money.

"A lot of the people on the Macmillan walk also had cancer so that in itself was inspiring. I did the Macmillan Lake District walk, which was more challenging because of all the hills.

"I didn't need to do any training for this walk because it is largely on the flat, but I did quite a lot for the Lake District one."

Former soldier Mr Livingstone, from Colburn, has taken part in a Walking with the Wounded event in the past, which supports veterans who are wounded, injured or sick.

He said: "I approached Les Calvert and Diana Tudorache, who run the Holly Hill Inn, to host a fundraising event for Macmillan too.

"I needed a focal point for the event and it is close to a lot of people in the area and easy to park, and they did a fantastic job."

Miss Tudorache said: "The fundraiser was a great success. It was amazing how many people took the time and effort to donate prizes to support us.

"The Holly Hill is a community pub, and some of our regulars are currently battling cancer so that was our motivation. We want to make a change for them and show our support.

"There is nothing we can say to make it go away, but we can raise money for charities that support those with cancer.

"It was our way of saying we are there for them."

Michaela Ryder, from Macmillan Cancer Support, said: "We are so grateful for the support from people like David, and everyone at the Holly Hill Inn, because that is the only way we can continue to support those with cancer.

"One in two of us will receive a cancer diagnosis, and Macmillan wants to make sure we are there for people so they can live the best lives they can."