A FIREFIGHTER from Royal Wootton Bassett is preparing to tackle a 100km walk to raise money for charity.

Steve Humphries will be walking between London and Brighton this weekend in aid of the Fire Fighters Charity, aiming to complete the walk in under 20 hours.

Mr Humphries, 48, of Da Vinci Walk, Royal Wootton Bassett, said: “I decided to do it a few months ago, at the tail end of last year. I was having a glass of wine and saw it was happening so decided to take part. I am looking forward to it but whether I feel like that on the Saturday morning is another thing entirely.”

It is not the first time that he’s taken on such a challenge. This will be his fourth 100km walk. He’s completed several half marathons and even marked his 40th birthday by doing the London Marathon.

Mr Humphries said: “I’ve done this sort of event before and, having joined the Fire and Rescue Service, I was interested in doing a challenge to raise money for the Fire Fighters Charity. We intend walking most of the route, although we will run some sections to keep our muscles loose, and I’m hoping it will go well and we can finish within our target time.”

Three and a half years ago, Mr Humphries joined Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service as an on-call firefighter in Royal Wootton Bassett, a commitment he juggles with his full-time job as an antenna quality installation engineer for Ericsson and his involvement in the Territorial Army. He will be taking on this challenge with a TA colleague, Alex Saunders, who is fundraising for Help for Heroes.

To donate to Mr Humphries fundraising page you can visit www.justgiving.com/stephen-humphries3. Mr Saunders' donations page can be found at www.justgiving.com/Alex-Saunders5.