A MAN is planning to walk 80 miles in four days, crossing 40 bridges in the process, all in the name of charity. Dave Balding, of Gardeners Road, Halstead, lost his son-in-law Ben Highton to cancer last year.

His family and friends are planning to complete 40 fundraisers this year to mark what would have been his 40th birthday.

So far, the team have raised more than £19,000 in Ben’s name but are hoping to build on this figure, with Dave hoping to add at least an extra £1,000 for his “bridge walk”.

Dave said: “Ben was full of life, everything he did had to involve fun and his friends and family, anything he could do to turn something into a party with a lot of fun and laughs he would do.

“He was just a great guy. I’ve never met anyone quite like him.

“This is quite a fitting tribute to him, he was a very outgoing person who lived life to the fullest and did everything he possibly could.”

Dave’s walk is set to begin at Henley on Thames and he will then follow the Thames footpath crossing every bridge on his way and finishing at Tower Bridge.

He is set to complete the majority of the walk on his own but is hoping that friends and family with join him at intervals as well as expecting a big turnout for his finish at Tower Bridge.

Ben’s wife and sister came up with the plan to attempt 40 fundraisers over the course of the year to celebrate what would have been his 40th birthday.

A number of people have been running marathons and half-marathons in Ben’s name.

Cake sales and breakfasts have been organised, as well as his friends cycling a 40,000 ft vertical ascent in the Pyrenees in just 40 hours and one fundraiser set to climb Kilimanjaro.

The bridge walk takes place between July 7 and July 10.

To check the team’s progress and donate visit justgiving.com/teams/ LivingLifeForBen.