Huge charity hike for firefighter's 30th birthday

Emily-Jane Harding said she hoped other firefighters would support her along the route of her challenge

A firefighter will mark her 30th birthday this year by walking hundreds of miles across the UK in less than three months.

Emily-Jane Harding says she hopes to find a place to stay each night through the fire stations she passes along the South West Coastal Path.

The 29-year-old works for the Ministry of Defence but is also an on-call firefighter at the Wellington station in Shropshire.

She said she was "always up for a crazy challenge" and it was important to "give back to the path".

Her 630-mile (1,014km) hike, which will raise money towards maintaining the route, starts on 30 June with a finish date pencilled in for 7 September.

The keen hiker is no stranger to endurance events, having finished a 50-mile (80km) race along the Shropshire Way and a 70-mile (113km) hike from Ulverston to Carlisle.

Ms Harding said she had previously walked parts of the coastal route, which runs from Somerset to Dorset, and Minehead was "an incredibly special place" to her.

Celebrating her 30th birthday this year, she said she hoped it would be a memorable way to mark the occasion.

"I have many fond memories from numerous family holidays, so it seemed like the perfect challenge," she added.

Ms Harding also hoped to receive support from fellow firefighters along the trek and the funds raised will also go towards the Fire Fighters Charity and a charity linked to the armed forces.