A former Keighley CID chief is to walk the length of Britain – for the second time.

Tony Hennigan will set off on his John O’Groats to Land’s End trek on April 1 – ten years to the day since he began his last assault on the route, but this time in the reverse direction.

He will be raising money for Children in Need.

Mr Hennigan retired from the police force a decade ago after 30 years’ service – many of them in his native Keighley – and since then has worked as a BBC investigator, a role he plans to retire from later this year.

“I got a real buzz from doing the walk the first time and wanted to repeat it,” said Mr Hennigan, who now lives in the Yorkshire Dales.

“That walk was at the end of my police career and this one will be as I near the end of my BBC career, plus I’m 60 now, so it seemed an appropriate time to do it and I thought why not try to raise a few pounds for charity?”

He hopes to complete the 1,000-mile-plus walk, with his Irish red setter Rua, in about 60 days.

A decade ago Mr Hennigan was forced to keep to roads because foot and mouth restrictions had affected swathes of countryside and the asphalt surfaces took their toll on his feet.

But this time the route will be much different.

“About one third of the walk will be on ‘official’ footpaths such as the West Highland Way and Cumbria Way and I’m hoping to stay in hostels and bunkhouses – many of which were closed during the foot and mouth crisis,” he said.

Mr Hennigan has been a blood donor for more than 40 years and recently gave his 400th unit.

He said: “I am hoping that people who are unable to give money to the cause may instead consider becoming a blood donor.”

Anyone wishing to offer sponsorship can go to justgiving.

com/tonyhennigan.