Captain Sir Tom Moore inspires Sutton Coldfield man's walks

A great-grandfather aged 98 is aiming to emulate Captain Sir Tom Moore and raise money for charity by walking laps of his garden.

Harold Jones, from Sutton Coldfield, who broke his back in 2016, began daily walks to get exercise in England's first Covid lockdown.

He said turning the activity into funds was down to Captain Sir Tom.

"To see him walking like that, doing it for the NHS, it was quite inspiring," Mr Jones said.

"To be doing it at his age and there was nothing boastful [about him], he was such a gentle fellow..."

Captain Sir Tom, who died in February at the age of 100, received international recognition after he raised almost £33m for NHS charities by walking laps of his garden during lockdown.

Mr Jones is supporting the Motor Neurone Disease Association, having "lost two very dear friends" to the condition. So far he has raised about £1,600.

He said: "I was walking... one morning and just felt moved to try and do something with what I was doing."

Mr Jones completes the laps aided by his late wife's mobility apparatus, having broken his back in a fall in 2016.

Several vertebrae were fused through operations leaving him "walking in a rather bent position".

Having begun in March 2020 with two laps, Mr Jones said he had increased the number to complete 40 a day.

"I look at the weather first thing and I have a cup of tea and go straight out in the morning, do 25 laps and then do another 15 at lunchtime," he said.

Mr Jones added that like Captain Sir Tom, he served in the Army during World War Two in India and Myanmar.

"I reached the rank of Lance Corporal, hence the title given to me by my family - Lance Corporal Harold."

Mr Jones said he had no end goal for his walks or how much money he wanted to raise but "as long as my health and physical ability continues, I intend to continue my laps".

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