TWO friends have raised more than £3,000 for street children in Brazil after successfully completing a gruelling 150-mile walk.

Fred Uttley and John Cowell, who flew to Spain earlier this year to walk part of the Camino to Santiago de Compostella pilgrimage, had hoped to raise £1,000 for CAFOD, the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development.

Cash raised will boost its campaign to help poverty stricken children in Brazil.

But thanks to the generosity of people in Burnley, Read, Simonstone and Cliviger they have managed to raise £3,200. Fred, 59, of Simonstone Lane, Simonstone, who has been doing voluntary work for CAFOD for six years and travels round local schools telling them about the charity's work, said: "We cannot thank our sponsors enough for their willingness and generosity in supporting the Brazil Appeal. It was worth the effort. And the money we have raised means the people and street children will greatly benefit and have a better chance in life."

In Brazil 42 million people live on just 62p a day and there are eight million street children.

John, 65, had an added incentive to complete the challenge.

His mum, Winifred, who spent many years raising vital funds for a variety of charities, asked him to donate the money he raised on the walk to CAFOD before she died in April.

She also started off their fund-raising efforts by donating £150.

He said: "I had been thinking of donating the money to a different charity, but just before she passed away she told me to do it for CAFOD.

"She would have been really proud. She was a real inspiration for both of us." Despite the aches and pains they both suffered from walking up to 15 miles a day for 12 days Fred and John are already planning to complete the pilgrimage next year to raise more money for charity.