A teenager will soon set off on a 137-mile hike for the hospice that helped his dad in his final days.

Ben Austen, 18, and his girlfriend Freya plan to set out from Downderry on July 1 to walk the coastal path to Land’s End, and have already raised more than £1,500 for St Luke’s Hospice in Plymouth.

Ben’s dad Mark was 58 when he died earlier this year.

‘Dad passed away on February 23 from a tumour on his chest. He had suffered on and off from cancer for more than eight years, and he was given the news of a terminal diagnosis in late 2016,’ said Ben.

‘On the night of his death, there were more than 10 of my dad’s family and closest friends with him. The nurses kindly allowed all of us to stay far past the closing time.

‘I stayed up next to him until about 5am and the last thing he was just about able to say was that he loved me. I fell asleep and he passed away at 6am.’

Ben had helped to care for his dad at home while studying for A-Levels at saltash.net community school.

The 18-year-old and his younger sister Madi, who live in St Germans, had helped Mark with eating, getting dressed and medical care. Near the end of his life, Mark was cared for at the hospice.

The coastal walk to Land’s End was something that Mark always wanted to do, said Ben, adding: ‘I’m dedicating this walk to my dad. It is a little thank you to St Luke’s for making the last month of his life so comfortable.

‘Any donations in Mark Austen’s memory, and to the essential work of St Luke’s, would be greatly appreciated.’

To support Ben’s fund-raising, visit www.give.everydayhero.com/uk/ marks-hospice-hike