Covid: Captain Sir Tom Moore 'inspired me to walk through the agony'

Sean Ash, who is paralysed from the waist down, walked one lap around the Den, the home of his favourite football club

A paralysed 999 call handler has walked one lap of a football pitch in honour of Captain Sir Tom Moore.

Sean Ash, 39, from Bexley, south east London, was told he would never walk again after being diagnosed with a rare spinal condition in August.

However, after months of therapy, he was able to walk small steps with the help of a walking frame.

Mr Ash said he would "keep walking for him as long as I can" in memory of Capt Sir Tom.

He completed a lap of Millwall's pitch on Tuesday to raise money for the NHS.

Sean Ash said recovery will be painful after walking around the football pitch

He said: "Every step that I take, all the pain and agony that I go through, it's all for something bigger than myself."

"I'm walking for everyone that has a spinal cord injury. I'm walking for all our NHS heroes."

In January Mr Ash raised almost £60,000 for his London Ambulance Service and NHS colleagues after walking a mile around the roads surrounding his home.

He said he was inspired by 100-year-old Capt Sir Tom's fundraising efforts.

"I want to inspire the nation to get up and walk for Tom.

"There was a time when he got up and walked for us when we needed him," said Mr Ash.

Capt Sir Tom previously described Mr Ash as an "inspirational young man".

Mr Ash is paralysed from the waist down due to cauda equina syndrome (CES) - a rare type of spinal stenosis where all of the nerves in the lower back suddenly become compressed.

Although he has completed the walk recovery will be painful he said.

"A lot of people see me walk around here and think that's the challenge. But the challenge is now when I get home and I've got to recover somehow.

"But it was worth it."

Mr Ash has so far raised £60,000 for his London Ambulance Service and NHS colleagues