DETERMINED fundraisers Richard Hakier and Rebecca Sellens walked their way to more than £5,000 in memory of their grandmothers.

The couple, both 26, crossed the finishing line exhausted but elated after completing a gruelling trek from London to Huddersfield.

Their 10-day, 230-mile mission aimed to raise about £3,500 for Breast Cancer Care.

But the couple, who finished the walk at Tunnel End in Marsden, smashed that target thanks to the generosity of people they met along the way.

Richard, who grew up in Longwood and is a former Colne Valley High School pupil, said: “To finally cross the finishing line was an amazing feeling.

“The last bit was a 600ft climb up Pule Hill. As we came down we were greeted by family and friends. It was just pure elation.

“The support we have had along the way has been absolutely amazing – it took our breath away.

“From people donating money, to simply giving us KitKats to keep us going, there was no end of people wanting to help.”

His grandmother, Anne Marie Hakier, a nursing assistant at Storthes Hall Hospital, died from lung cancer in October 2000.

Rebecca, who lived in Mount, did the walk in memory of her grandmother, Pam Crowder.

Mrs Crowder, a former member of Woodhouse Operatic Society, died last year after a long fight with breast cancer.

Richard said he suffered shin problems towards the end of the journey and they both had blisters.

He said: “We keep looking at the map at how far we walked and we can’t believe it. Part of the way through, there was a point we realised we had taken on something absolutely huge.

“Every day we were getting up at 6am knowing that we had a 24-mile hike ahead of us.

“All the way we were saying to each other that our grans must have been looking down on us because the weather was great.

“I’m sure they would have been really proud.”