Boy, 11, walks from Northern Ireland to Old Trafford for charity

Ben was joined members of his local football team when he set out from Larne

An 11-year-old boy who walked from his hometown in Northern Ireland to Manchester United's stadium has raised more than £12,500 for charity.

Ben Dickinson is collecting money for FareShare to fund meals for 75,000 people - the equivalent of a full-capacity Old Trafford crowd.

He said he was inspired by the footballer and anti-poverty campaigner Marcus Rashford.

James Persad, from FareShare, described Ben as "an inspiration".

"We are thrilled and we cannot thank Ben enough for his commitment to help FareShare's mission, to let no good food go to waste."

Ben said he was "speechless" when he met former United player Wayne Rooney during the ten-day walk from Inver Park, home of his local football team Larne FC.

After a ferry trip from Northern Ireland, Ben, who was joined by his family, also stopped off at Everton and Liverpool FC's stadiums during the 64-mile trek.

His walk follows a previous fundraiser when he ran 26 miles over 26 days for Northern Ireland Children's Hospice.

Ben met former Manchester United player Wayne Rooney during his fundraising walk

Rashford waged a high-profile campaign to persuade ministers to provide free meals to vulnerable children throughout the school holidays during the pandemic, forcing Prime Minister Boris Johnson into a U-turn.

Speaking in September he said child food poverty is getting "devastatingly" worse and called on people to write to their MP in a bid to end a "child hunger pandemic".