A FORMER policemen is about to set off on his longest beat yet - an epic 1,200 walk along the length of Britain.

A part-time verger at Ripon Cathedral, Colin Belsey will be setting off on April 10 and aims to arrive at the northernmost tip of Scotland by the end of July.

And he hopes his exhausting marathon will raise thousands of pounds for the cathedral’s continuing organ restoration appeal.

His previous experience includes walking the Pennine Way 33 years ago, but he will be aiming to complete 13 miles per day in order to complete the walk inside four months.

He says it has always been an ambition to do the walk,. "Having developed a love of walking during my time in the Scouts in my native East Sussex and having completed the Pennine Way back in 1977, I have always had the ambition to go that bit further and walk from one end of the country to the other," he said.

"A career with the States of Jersey Police put paid to such ambition - until now.

"Having retired at the age of 50 last July, moved to Ripon and married Wendy, the dream was rekindled."

Money raised by Colin will go towards the £350,000 restoration of the 19th century cathedral organ.

The project will include the complete dismantling of the instrument. Its 3,000 pipes will be removed to the organ builders, where they will be cleaned and restored, and returned to the Cathedral for re-commissioning; the work is expected to take a year to complete Colin’s route of 1,210 miles will take him away from main roads and along walking country where possible.

And as if that wasn’t enough he will warm up with a week of walking around the Scilly Isles and then enjoy an 80-mile cooling-down walk across the Shetland Isles following his arrival at John O’Groats.