A former policeman and cancer survivor is going on a Spanish pilgrimage to raise money for research into the disease.

Derek Booth, 69, who lives in Callington and was a police sergeant in Yorkshire prior to his retirement, found out he had cancer six weeks after having a prostrate operation.

He said: ‘When the consultant dropped the bombshell that they had discovered cancer in 12 per cent of the ‘chips’ of prostate removed from me, I have to admit that I was scared, scared witless.’

But after further tests it was revealed that Derek was cancer free. He said: ‘It was declared that I was one of the luckiest men alive. In removing some of my prostate, the surgeon, inadvertently and without knowing it, had removed all the cancer from my prostate.’

Six years later Derek remains cancer free.

He said: ‘March is ’Prostate Cancer Awareness Month’. As a survivor of this killer disease, I wanted to give something back to assist in the continuing research to help the thousands of men who are not - and will not - be as fortunate as me. As a result, I am doing my own personal ‘March for Men’ Why am I doing this? To help more men survive prostate cancer and have some quality of life.’

On March 1 Derek will start to walk the 420 mile Camino de Santiago, a pilgrimage hike from Pamplona to Santiago de Compostela in northern Spain, to raise funds for Prostate Cancer UK.

He said: ‘The idea of doing the Camino walk came after a motorhome holiday in Spain when we had passed a distinctive roadside sign marking the hike. Several years down the track I got it into my head that I should get fit in order to pass a medical to allow me to drive the motorhome post 70 years of age. By that time I knew the significance of the Camino sign and the plan was hatched. I’ve been in training for some time, building up the ability to carry a rucksack every day for a month. Even the snow saw me getting used to the kind of weather I might come across in northern Spain in March.

‘The hike should take me roughly a month, and it’s a not-so-fun fact to say that in that month, nearly a thousand men in the UK will have died as a result of this terrible disease.’

The walk is self-funded with all monies raised go straight to Prostate Cancer UK. Derek added: ‘No hotel bills, no cerveza, no tapas will be paid for by your donation. Your contribution, whether you donate a lot or a little, will make an impact; anything really does help.’