A WILSDEN man who took on a barefoot walk in memory of his stillborn son compared the frost-covered gritted paths to “Blackpool beach”.

Daniel Lee, of Lingfield Grove, had to endure painful cuts to his feet.

But he completed the gruelling eight-mile route.

And his mammoth effort raised more than £2,000 for the charity Tommy’s.

The organisation provided invaluable support to Daniel and his partner Jade McCulloch – as well as their four-year-old son Riley – when the couple lost their stillborn son, Tommy Daniel, on January 23 last year.

Speaking just a few days after his walk, Daniel said: “When I got up on the Saturday, the day of the walk, there was frost everywhere.

“My feet got ripped open and the salt from the grit got inside the cuts. It was awful.

“It was worth it though, because we raised over £2,000 in just ten days.

“I completed the walk in three hours and nine minutes but my feet started getting cuts on them within the first 20 minutes.

“My brother Ashley walked with me and wore a Superman outfit and was collecting donations from people on the way round.”

The presence of Ashley, from Thorpe Edge, was a huge support.

“I couldn’t have done it without him,” said Daniel.

He added that the generosity and backing from members of the public as he tackled the walk was incredible.

“I had some fantastic support from the community,” said Daniel.

“Cars were following me, with drivers beeping their horns and cheering me on.

“I felt really proud when I finished, but when I got home I just crashed.

“It was also quite an emotional day.”

Jade spoke of her pride at Daniel’s achievement.

“It went as well as it could for him,” she said.

“His feet are a bit of a mess because it was so frosty and the paths were gritted.”

Daniel said he was suffering for a few days afterwards, but that the pain was worthwhile to support the charity.

The walk took Daniel from his home in Wilsden, down Haworth Road, on to Sandy Lane, towards Cottingley, Bingley and then Harden, before the return to Wilsden.

The route was mostly on roads, with some footpaths.

Tommy’s was founded in 1992 – at St Thomas’ Hospital, London – and is now the largest UK charity researching the causes and prevention of pregnancy complications, miscarriage, stillbirth, premature birth and neonatal death.

For further information about its work, visit tommys.org.