A WREXHAM man took on a gruelling charity challenge in memory of his dad.

Alex Williams, 39, aimed to raise £1,666 for Nightingale Hospice by climbing up and down the Moss Valley steps 460 times on May 29.

His father David Williams, from Bala, died in May 2020, just over a month after being diagnosed with cancer.

Alex said: "For exercise during lockdown, I'd climb the Moss Valley steps - climbing up and down them.

"The challenge came from there. It was the one year anniversary of my dad's passing and it seemed like the right thing to do. "He was supported by the hospice for the last ten to twelve days.

"My dad was originally from London, but he moved to Bala in the mid-30's and met my mum.

"He lived there for the remainder of his life.

"He was an ex-military man - 2 PARA.

"After that he found his calling in life doing landscape gardening.

"For the challenge, I found statistics that before covid's interruption, 460 people died every day from Cancer - which is why I climbed the steps that many times.

"166,000 died every year from cancer, which is why I tried to raise £1,666 - but I smashed my target. "Some donations are still coming in, but it will be over £4,000."

Mr Williams said the experience was 'humbling' - and he was delighted to be cheered on by supporters on the day.

A friend whose company does virtual events live streamed the 12 hour challenge - with viewers tuning in from as far away as Australia and America.

"For a few weeks before, I said I thought the physical part would be the easy part and the mental part the hardest," he said. "But it was the other way round. "I was sound mentally, because there was lots of support there.

"But by about 200 every part of my legs and my lower back hurt.

"It was hard to stand straight, but I had to keep going."