THE Bolton News' resident rambler will walk from Pendle to Parliament to hand a petition to the government.

Nick Burton, who writes a weekly walking guide, will trek 280 miles to urge the Prime Minister and MPs to invest in getting Britain walking.

He will set off from his home in East Lancashire tomorrow, following only footpaths and bridleways but not roads.

Mr Burton, aged 49, has spent nearly 30 years working in local and central government in countryside roles including public rights of way officer, park ranger, countryside manager, health walks and community cycling officer.

The married father-of-two said: "Despite public sector cuts, you can still walk from Lancashire to London across fields following the hundreds of miles of legal green highways.

"If further cuts are made to highway authority budgets you might not be able to do this in the future."

The author also wants to demonstrate that, by avoiding walking along classified roads, there is an alternative mode of transport to the car which is a greener, cheaper and healthier way to travel.

He intends to deliver a petition to Parliament based on the Ramblers' Manifesto For A Walking Britain which sets out a strong case for walking.

Mr Burton, a community physical activity instructor at Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council, added: "Our public rights of way network is the key to encouraging sustainable travel, tackling obesity, boosting rural economies and improving the physical and mental wellbeing of the nation."

The Pendle to Parliament walk will take the author approximately two weeks to complete, covering about 20 miles a day.

It will start in Clitheroe, traverse Pendle Hill and follow the Pennines south to the Peak District. It will then go through the White Peak and Dovedale to take in the site of the Battle of Bosworth Field in Leicestershire.

It continues through rural Northamptonshire to reach the Chilterns in the Home Counties.

Finally the walk joins the River Thames near Windsor and follows the Thames Path National Trail along the river eastwards into the heart of London and arriving at the Houses of Parliament.

Mr Burton is the author of several walking books and the creator of a long distance walk, Wainwright’s Way, a walk through the life of fellwalker and guidebook author Alfred Wainwright.

You can follow his walk via the Pendle to Parliament Facebook page or Twitter @pendle2parl.