ARMY veteran Mark Newton has spent more than four years travelling the country on an electric scooter raising money for charity but never feels lonely thanks to his beloved cat Missy.

Mr Newton, 51, has raised more than £75,500 for Help For Heroes, the Royal British Legion, SAFA and the RNLI, since leaving home in Swansea on his Wiltshire made scooter that pulls a small trailer.

Every night he parks up and sleeps in the trailer, which at 6ft 3ins, is only three inches longer than he is and Missy sleeps at his side.

On Friday he set up camp in the car park of The Wyvern Club in Devizes en-route to the Help For Heroes headquarters Tedworth House in Tidworth where he will receive a medical check up and help for his post traumatic stress disorder and other ailments.

He plans to stay in Tidworth for Remembrance Sunday before touring Wiltshire as part of his role as a volunteer with the Imperial War Museum checking data on war memorials.

He will also take the chance to have his Beamer Tramper scooter serviced in at the factory where it was built near Salisbury.

He said: "I am looking forward to some peace and quiet and some mental and physical treatment. I enjoy what I do and don't miss living in a house but it can take its toll.

"Missy is very good and keeps me company. When I sent out I had two cats and there was no way I was going to leave them behind." Sadly his other moggy Smudge died in January but Missy appears to enjoy her travels.

In Devizes she slept under the trailer and then emerged on her lead to welcome back Mr Newton after he went to check the town's war memorial.

Most people give both of them a big welcome but Mr Newton has suffered some nasty experiences over the past few months as he travelled through Gloucestershire.

He said: "I was robbed and suffered vandalism a couple of times while I was parked in Gloucester. I was glad to leave there."

But he enjoyed his welcome in Devizes which was organised by the town's branch of the Royal British Legion. He joined the army aged 19 in 1985 and spent time in Ireland, Kuwait and Cyprus with the Queen's Dragoon Guards before being invalided out.

He later worked for a CCTV firm but after being made redundant he decided to take to the road. He said: "My mum thought I was made but she is happy about it now."