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Thumbs up to this 80-year-old grandfather... who hitchhiked 10,000 miles to scatter his late wife’s ashes.

It took Mike Howitt nearly two months to travel from his home in Leicester to Table Mountain in Cape Town, South Africa, to say his last goodbye to Diana.

The pensioner, who passed through 21 countries, said: “From the day I set off down the A47 from Leicester to the day I got to Cape Town, I never felt in danger.

“In Kenya I spent 22 hours on a cattle truck.

"When we crossed the equator they stopped for me and I was able to scatter some of Diana’s ashes there too.”

(Image: Caters)

(Image: Caters)

Mike’s work in the building industry took the couple of 55 years to South Africa 25 times.

Mike said: “Diana loved Table Mountain. We spent anniversaries in South Africa and loved the country.”

Mike’s 10,642-mile trip raised £6,000 for the Loros hospice where Diana spent her final days before she died of lung disease last year.

Fundraiser Christian Wikert-Picker said: “We are delighted Mike completed his journey and we are very grateful.”