WHILE most people were opening Christmas presents one Trowbridge man was pounding the streets and this week handed over nearly £1,000 to charity.

Chris Stickland, of Cockhill, raised £987 for Dorothy House after running from Bath to Trowbridge on December 25.

Mr Stickland, 49, whose father died at Bradford Hospital on December 11, was inspired after seeing the support carers at the hospice gave during his father's final days.

"My dad was in Dorothy House for a week and he improved so much in that time I wanted to do something to help.

"I decided to run on Christmas Day because I thought people would give more money," he said.

After setting off from Bath at 9am, Mr Stickland ran the 12 miles along the Kennet and Avon canal before finishing at his home.

The feat took Mr Stickland one hour and 42 minutes and left him exhausted.

"It was a real struggle as I had a cold but was determined to run.

"My wife phoned to meet me at points along the way with drinks and snacks but even with mobile phones we managed to miss each other.

"It took me three days to recover but I'm very pleased to be able to hand over the money to Dorothy House," he said.

His wife Norma, 46, said the decision to run on Christmas Day had been for greater impact but revealed Mr Stickland was left low after the loss of his father and had almost pulled out of the run.

She thanked all those who had supported the Trowbridge-based electrician and made the day a success.