A retired schoolteacher from St Dogmaels who aims to walk 1,047 miles around Wales in is due to continue his fundraiser after being forced to pause due to coronavirus.

Huw Evans was forced to pause in his 70-day Route 66 challenge due to local coronavirus restrictions.

The 66-year-old had completed nearly half of the Wales Coast Path walk from Poppit Sands clockwise via the Lleyn Peninsula and Anglesey to Prestatyn, a total of nearly 500 miles.

He decided to pause the event on September 25.

"I arrived in Prestatyn on September 23, 29 days after leaving Poppit," he said.

"Because accommodation was proving difficult to find along Offa's Dyke, due to the increasing concern about the rising levels of Covid infection among B&B and hotel owners, I decided to return home.

"I am disappointed that I had to do this but know it was the correct decision."

He set off again on Saturday, October 10 on the Pembrokeshire Coast Path from Pendine to Tenby.

The grandfather of two hopes to finish his walk at Poppit, via Freshwater East and Newport, which is where he started the original Route 66 fundraiser.

Depending on the state of coronavirus restrictions he hopes to tackle the Carmarthenshire stage of the path straight after this.

Former assistant head at Cardigan Secondary School, Huw, is aiming to raise £5,000 for the Wales Air Ambulance and the RNLI, has so far raised £2,500 for the charities.

Huw said he had been lucky with the weather and only got 'soaking wet twice'. He has received a lot of support from the public during his walks.

"I've met really nice and supportive people on the walk," he said. "Three campsite owners have waived the stay fee. One owner went around the people staying there and collected £50. How good is that? When the knees hurt these things keep you going."

Huw decided to pick the Wales Air Ambulance as one of the charities to fundraise for because 'it's only funded by donations and provides the Children's Wales Air Ambulance transfer service'.

"I have seen them in action at close quarters when my neighbour suffered a very serious head injury and survived because of the swift, but calm treatment received and the speed of transfer to hospital," he said.

You can show your support to Huw by sponsoring him via his Just Giving page Huw Evans ROUTE66 CYMRUWALES.

justgiving.com/fundraising/route66cymruwalesairambulance