A Redbourn vicar has reached Scotland during a four day hitchhike to raise more than £5,000 for charity.

With only £10 in his pocket and no fixed journey, Reverend Will Gibbs set out on his journey on Friday (October 18) at 9am and returned on Monday (October 21) at 5.30pm.

Reverend Gibbs, who has been at St Mary’s Church for seven years, managed to catch lifts to as far as Fort William in Scotland.

While relying on the kindness of people to transport him and fund his food and living necessities, Reverend Gibbs stopped off at Edinburgh, Glasgow and Perth to raise £5,500 in aid of Redbourn Care Group, Open Door St Albans, The Pepper Foundation, Busoga Trust UK and St Andrew’s Clinics for Children.

Reverend Gibbs said: "It was amazing - just phenomenal.

"I had no fixed plan and it was to see where I ended up.

"Driving along through Scotland, seeing the autumn colours and through the Glen Coe I was really happy. It just exceeded all expectations. "Beforehand I had worries and doubts but that all evaporated when I experienced the kindness and generosity of people.

"The people I met along the way, the stories they had to tell has just been truly extraordinary."

Reverend Gibbs says many people had promised to sponsor him per mile, so he was encouraged to travel as far as possible. He said: "The further I got the more money I raised.

"People have been so generous and were very supportive of what I was doing.

"I was in a service station one night and a family who were travelling on holiday to Scotland had no space in their car to give me a lift, so they came over and gave me £20 towards getting food and a place to stay that night."

Reverend Gibbs said his lowest point was on Sunday, when he waited three hours to catch a lift from Perth and five hours waiting in Glasgow. However, he managed to get back to Redbourn just in time, with the £10 still in his pocket and donations well-wishers had made along the way.

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He said: "I didn’t spend a penny of the £10 and even came back with £20 extra.

"On my return I handed it back to the church warden to go towards our chosen charities. It was a bit creased - I guess I had been sitting on it for four days."