A FORMER Colchester policeman has raised thousands of pounds for charity by driving 8,000 miles around Europe ... on a tractor.

Peter Matheson spent almost six months behind the wheel of his vintage Massey Ferguson – nicknamed Annie – driving at an average of 10mph between John O’Groats and the northern tip of Norway.

Although he started in the height of a balmy summer in August, Mr Matheson – who celebrated his 51st birthday on the epic trek – encountered some terrible weather in northern Europe between October and January, and, at some points, even feared for his life.

His only companion was his faithful labrador, Amber, whose bed was attached to the tractor.

He said she was kept warm by six duvets and “never felt the cold like me”.

The dad-of-one – who towed a caravan while on the journey – arrived back at John O’Groats on Saturday.

He said: “For me, the best part of it was easily the people I met. Until you do something like this, you don’t know how many good people there are.

“The thing everyone asked me was ‘Are you completely mad?’ “Even if they couldn’t speak English, they could ask that.

“My response was always; ‘I think everyone should do at least one mad thing in their life’ and ‘you only have one life, live it’.”

But he does admit he had to learn some things the hard way.

“On one occasion, not far into the journey, I was hit by a massive storm and I was going along the road and a lorry was coming the other direction and I thought to myself ‘He’s not for slowing down’ and sure enough, it threw water up in the air and completely drenched me.

“That’s what I call learning the hard way.”

On another occasion, he was driving through a Norwegian mountain range during gale force winds and had to cross a bridge, which had a sheer drop on both sides.

Mr Matheson added: “It was a horrible, horrible day.

“When I got there, there just wasn’t room to turn and this bridge was straight up and straight down, so I put the tractor in gear, gritted my teeth and just went for it and thought ‘Well, if it’s my time, it’s just my time’.”

He added: “Aside from that, minus 20°C was a real lowpoint.

“But for every low point, there were so many highs, like the Northern Lights, which I think everyone has to see.”

Mr Matheson was raising money for the Tom Bowdidge Foundation, as well as Unicef.

Tom, from West Bergholt, died aged 19 in 2013 from an aggressive stomach cancer.

Before he died, he raised more than £170,000 for the Teenage Cancer Trust and his parents have set up a foundation in his name.

In total, Peter has raised about £3,000 for the charities, but wants to raise much more.

To add to the pot, go to tractorbumble.com Mr Matheson’s route took in John O’Groats, Colchester, Lands End, Harwich and Esbjerb, in Denmark, before he drove to Nordkapp in Norway.

He returned via Germany and The Netherlands before crossing to Harwich and making his way to Lands End. Early this month, he set off on the final stretch to John O’Groats.

He is now planning to write a book about his journey before auctioning off some of his mementos.

This year, he also plans to take the tractor on a trip around Ireland.