Carrying only salt, rice, a cooking pot, knife and a tent, and relying on the kindness of strangers, Ewen Hardie is raising sponsorship for the Burma Educational Scholarship Trust.

He was spotted by Melton Times reader Reuben Bradshaw, of Thorpe Satchville, on Dalby Road by the old airfield.

Reuben said: "Seeing him walking barefoot I felt compelled to ask him if he needed some shoes or trainers, assuming he may have had them stolen or something. But it transpired that he is a teacher from Scotland raising money by walking to London barefoot."

Mr Hardie is purposely not carrying a mobile phone with him but he does have a web page at www.justgiving.co.uk/barefeetforburma where he explains his motivation for the walk - the fact the Burmese military junta spends less than 44p per person per year on education. Reuben sponsored him on the spot.

There is also a blogpage at http://barefeetforburma.blogspot.com where, in his most recent diary entry, Mr Hardie thanked Sam, Matt and Alex at The Sugar Loaf in Ab Kettleby for their help. "I've been enjoying their company and hospitality and am about to set off to Melton and then, hopefully, on to the Grand Union Canal by the end of the day. I'm carrying a very fine packed lunch so with luck I'll make good progress."

* Ewen Hardie, who is walking barefoot from Scotland to London to raise the plight of children in Burma