A team of veterans and their friends and family have completed an impressive 80-mile D-Day challenge in Dorset and France.

The group took on an 80-mile walk to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day and to raise ‘much needed funds’ for the Veterans Hub in Wyke Regis, Weymouth.

The group taking part in the huge challenge have called themselves Benji’s Bandits after the beloved hub dog, Benji.

The team completed the first 36 miles across the Dorset coast and have just returned from Normandy, where over the course of two-days, they completed a further 46-mile walk along the D-Day beaches.

At Ouistreham the Bandits turned inland and walked to the famous Pegasus Bridge at Benouville, the first engagement of D-Day and the turning point of the Second World War.

At the time of writing, the group have raised an impressive £3,500.

Tim Creed from the group said: “We started at point Du Hoc on the first day and walked nearly 11 hours before stopping at the town Arromanches, where many of the ‘Mulberry Pontoons’ can still be seen on the beach.

“The weather was atrocious with torrential driving rain, and three hours of thunder and lightning which meant it was a tough walk.

“At the end of day one, totally drenched with very wet and exhausted team, morale was still high with the team thinking that the second day would be better. “

Benji's Bandits teamBenji's Bandits team (Image: Tim Creed)

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The main aim of the expedition was to raise as much money for the hub as possible ‘as fundraising makes a big difference and is able to keep the hub running for a little while.’

Additionally, the group hope that by taking part in fundraisers and activities like this it will ‘keep the history of D-Day alive a little bit.’

Unfortunately, the rain continued into the second day, but the team powered through.

Mr Creed added: “Undeterred the walk continued, and we followed the coast past the many memorials, cemeteries, gun emplacements and old armour which still provides an emotional atmosphere.

“The team had an overwhelming sense and appreciation of what those brave people went through 80 years ago.”

He explained that seeing all the war graves and memorials tugged on their heart strings, especially as they started reading them and noticing how young some of the soldiers were.

The team consisted of James Brookes, Freddie Cook, Paul Gibbons, Gary Cheesman, Sue Neate, Tim Shelton, Emma Shelton and Tim Creed.

If you would like to donate to the fundraiser, visit: https://donorbox.org/benjis-bandits-d-day-challenge.