99-year-old Bedfordshire veteran raises millions for the NHS and captures hearts globally
A 99-year-old veteran from Bedfordshire who is raising funds for the NHS has topped £12 million in donations.
Captain Tom Moore has been walking lengths of his garden and aimed to complete 100 of the 25-metre laps before he turns 100 on April 30.
Mr Moore, who lives with his family in Marston Mortaine, had hoped to raise £1,000 for the NHS when he started the challenge last week.
ITV News Anglia's Rebecca Haworth was the first television reporter to tell Captain Tom's story
By Wednesday afternoon, a total of more than £7 million had been donated by over 340,000 supporters. Just a few hours later the total has passed £9 million.
Earlier in the day, his JustGiving page crashed, with more than 90,000 people trying to access it at once.
Mr Moore told ITV Anglia the huge total has left him almost "speechless".
Mr Moore has become a global star, getting press attention from the likes of France and Australia.
He has also received countless messages from famous faces, like comedian David Walliams and professional golfer Justin Rose.
Mr Moore began raising funds to thank NHS staff who treated him for a broken hip.
He is ahead of schedule with his walking and hopes to finish thechallenge by Thursday.
Originally from Keighley in West Yorkshire, Mr Moore trained as a civil engineer before enlisting in the Army for the Second World War, rising to captain and serving in India and Burma.
Meanwhile, an eight-year-old girl has started an online campaign for children to make birthday cards for Mr Moore's 100th birthday.
Reegan Davies, from Port Talbot, South Wales, set a target of 1,500 virtual cards after posting a video online to thank him for his fundraising efforts.
She says in the video posted on Twitter: "You've got to make a birthday card for Tom, any social media you post it, and tag #makeacardfortom".