Elle Edwards: Shooting victim's dad finishes memorial walk of Britain

Tim Edwards and John May were met with cheers at John O'Groats

Shooting victim Elle Edwards' father has said walking the length of Britain had "equipped him to deal with what lies ahead" before the trial of a man accused of his daughter's murder.

The beautician, 26, was hit when a gunman opened fire at a pub in Wallasey Village, Wirral, on Christmas Eve.

Tim Edwards joined comedian John May in February to raise awareness of knife and gun crime on Merseyside.

Ending his walk in John O'Groats, he said it had "all been about Elle".

"It's always been in her name," Mr Edwards added. "And I couldn't have done it without this man standing next to me.

"I'll be forever grateful for that.

"Who knows what the future brings? But I know one thing - everything I've learned on this trip, I'll take with me."

Elle was shot while out celebrating Christmas with friends.

She was not believed to have been the intended target of the shooting.

Hundreds of people joined them when they got to Liverpool

At the start of the year, Mr Edwards and Mr May, both from Merseyside, were strangers.

Mr Edwards, who began his walk from Land's End on 27 January, reached out online soon afterwards to the 41-year-old comedian.

They then met in Worcester and struck up a friendship which Mr Edwards said had helped him in advance of his daughter's alleged killer's trial in June.

Mr May said the walk had been "the biggest adventure" of his life and he had "loved every minute of it".

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In March hundreds of people, including boxer Tony Bellew and former Liverpool goalkeeper Chris Kirkland, greeted them when they arrived in Liverpool.

"Without this walk, the last two months would have been very dark and a real struggle if I'd been at home," Mr Edwards said.

"It's given me the chance to think of a future without Elle and how I can keep going forward in a positive way and not let the grief consume me in a negative and destructive way.

"So that when I return home, I feel equipped to deal with what lies ahead," he added.

Elle Edwards was on a Christmas Eve night out with her sister and friends when she was fatally shot

Mr Edwards said he had needed "freedom from the chaos" and "time alone".

"It's escapism - but I need escapism... escapism is good for me."

Mr Edwards said his comedian friend had powered him "through laughter" during their journey.

Mr May, meanwhile, said he had been "trapped in his life" and "miserable".

"This wasn't the journey I set out to make," he said, explaining he had given Mr Edwards a reason to put "one foot in front of the other".

"But I think it was my destiny and has given Tim a reason to keep going... he's a strong man."

The pair finished their walk together on Monday, two days before what would have been Elle's 27th birthday.

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