A GREAT-GREAT-GRANDDAD walked more than 220 miles in 20 days in memory of his grandson.

Colin Halsey, 77, spent nine days walking 93 miles from Chester to Caernarfon and then 11 days walking 131 miles around Anglesey in aid of The Christie, Macmillan Cancer Support and the MS Society.

The Weaverham pensioner, who has been married to Kath for 59 years, was compelled to undertake the challenge following the death of his grandson Neil Ingham in 2013.

"Sadly we lost our grandson to cancer, he was only 40," Colin said.

"The Macmillan nurses were brilliant with him and the family.

"He lived three doors down from us and said he bought the house so close to us so he could look after us in our old age.

"I thought while I'm still fit and well I will do something."

Colin and Kath have three daughters and a son, nine grandchildren, 21 great grandchildren and two great great grandchildren, with another great grandchild and great great grandchild on the way.

The couple, who live in Walnut Avenue, also found themselves in the media spotlight this spring after Cheshire West and Chester Council told them their manicured and well looked after grass verge was a criminal offence.

The dispute was eventually solved when the council gave them a licence to carry on maintaining the garden, which they originally planted with permission from the former Cheshire County Council to stop people parking and damaging the verge.

They have a caravan in Llanddulas, which became Colin's base for his lengthy expedition.

His method was to drive to the start point, do that day's allotted section of the walk then catch a bus or train back to his car and drive back to Kath at the caravan.

The following day's start point would be the previous day's finish point.

"It was hard work around Anglesey, it wasn't as simple as on the mainland," he said.

"It was lots of climbing and going out at 4am!

"I went early in the morning every day so I could get back to my wife so she wasn't on her own all day."

He added: "What I will do next year I don't know but it'll be something that only takes a day."