The fourth Forget Me Not walk raised thousands of pounds for two proud parents charity in memory of their son.

The walk started at The Bull, Maldon Road, Great Totham with 71 walkers, and their dogs, resplendent in their red Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research tshirts, choosing whether to complete a 30km or 20 km route.

The annual walk was organised by John and Sandra Reeve, of Wickham Bishops, in memory of their son Tim, 23, who died in December 2005 after fighting acute lymphoblastic leukaemia for three years.

The walk, organised to coincide with Tim’s 32nd birthday, raises thousands for the charity each year, to help other young people with blood cancer.

Tim’s father John said: “It went really, really well, considering the weather overnight and very first thing this morning, I think we had 15 minutes rain in total all day.

“In terms of walking conditions it was great.

“Everybody remarks on what a friendly walk it is, the other walkers but also people at the refreshment stops and along the way, I think everybody enjoyed it and it’s great to get feedback like that.

“Quite a few people were walking for very special reasons, one woman had just recovered from acute leukaemia, others for their parents or children who had had it.”