TWO friends whose fathers died from cancer have completed a 32-mile charity walk in their memory.

Engineer Jeff Fay lost his father in 1989 to bowel cancer and had vowed to raise money for the East Lancashire Hospice where he died.

But Jeff, 49, of Beckett Street, Darwen, said he had been too upset soon after his father John died aged 60 and the idea was forgotten as time went by.

But when his friend, Robert Scott lost his dad Gordon, 64, last September from stomach cancer, the pair decided it was time to do something to remember them both.

Jeff, a father of five, said: "I had always wanted to do something for dad.

"I wanted to remember him and to thank the hospice.

"It was too hard at first and then I kept shying away from it.

"But now seemed the right time. It reminded me that I really did want to do something. Plus, I had someone to share it all with."

Jeff set off on the charity walk from his local, the Mill Gap pub, Bolton Road, Darwen, at 6am with workmate Robert, 34, from Blackburn's Steyport Ltd.

The pair arrived at Blackpool's North Shore at 2.30pm after contending with eight-and-a-half hours of wind and rain over Christmas and New Year.

After counting up their donations from colleagues, family and friends, they handed £290 to the East Lancashire Hospice.

Now they want to complete another fundraiser and are aiming to find a challenge which is bigger and better than their first.

They have asked Harry Grayson, fundraiser at the hospice in Park Lee Road, Blackburn, to help them organise the event planned for later this year.

Jeff added: "I am a keen walker and I enjoyed the challenge of walking a good distance.

"It was fairly straight forward so we want to do something more difficult next time.

"We hope to continue raising money for the hospice in our fathers' memories."