A GROUP of firemen who are power walking from London to York to raise money for charity have already raised £4,000 for soldiers injured in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Malton fire station watch manager Justin Rowe is among those hoping to raise £10,000 for Help for Heroes, the armed services charity, which will use the proceeds to build convalescence homes in the UK.

While they have been training, power walking pulling a trailer emblazoned with the ‘Help for Heroes’ logo, they have received £4,000 in donations.

A recent 66-mile walk between Whitby and Scarborough, which they completed in 12 hours (with an overnight stop in the middle), saw members of the public running up to them to make donations.

Justin, who lives in Norton with his wife, Sue, and eight-year-old son, William, said: “The support out there for the Help for Heroes charity is massive. A lot of members of the public have family members in the armed forces, and others are just sympathetic to the charity’s aims.”

The group will set off from London next Tuesday, August 18, and march along the national cycle route, pulling a trailer, before arriving at York Minster on August 25.

Numerous attractions have been planned to welcome the firemen home. The 12th and 9th Lancers will be there with a Scimitar tank, along with the Royal Dragoon Guards, and the army recruiting team will set up a climbing wall and inflatable obstacle course in York Minster Gardens.

This will be free to try, although there will be collections for Help for Heroes throughout the day.

Anyone who would like to sponsor the speed march, should log on to www. justgiving.com/adrianriley or phone Justin Rowe at Malton Fire Station on 01653 692626.