Cricketing legend Sir Ian Botham has launched his 12th fundraising walk for a leukaemia charity, which will travel through nine UK towns, including Bury St Edmunds.

Cricketing legend Sir Ian Botham has launched his 12th fundraising walk for a leukaemia charity, which will travel through nine UK towns, including Bury St Edmunds.

This year, for the first time, members of the public can join Beefy on the trek in return for sponsorship.

The route will take place between October 10 to 18, starting in Taunton where Sir Ian began his sporting career.

The town was also where he first met children with leukaemia and was spurred on to start fundraising for Leukaemia Research.

Sir Ian, who is president of the charity, said: “In 1985, when I first started walking to raise funds for Leukaemia Research, the survival rate for young people with leukaemia was 20pc, now the survival rate is 80pc.”

“Join me on my 2008 walk and together we will help beat this terrible disease. I am determined to see all children survive in my lifetime.”

He will be walking from Ickworth Park, Bury St Edmunds, on October 13. The walk will also visit Windsor, Tunbridge Wells, Stratford-Upon-Avon, Llandudno, Harrogate and Milngavie, finishing in Durham where he ended his professional cricket career.

Leukaemia Research is aiming to raise more than £100m in the next five years for new research into the disease.

For more information, visit www.bothamwalk.com.