Hardy pensioner Robert Auty has travelled 1,496 miles for charity – using his OAP bus pass.

The 77-year-old Rotarian has visited a total of 77 towns throughout Yorkshire and Lincolnshire as part of a fundraising bid to help eradicate polio.

His quest started when Robert, a member of the Rotary Club of Ilkley, agreed to boost funds for the organisation’s chosen charity.

He set himself a target of visiting 77 towns and planned his trip which saw him travelling for a total of 125 hours over a two-month period.

He finished off with a trip to Blackpool where he stayed overnight along with his wife, Margaret.

He said of his challenge: “I really enjoyed it but it was very tiring at times. I’ve seen some lovely places and now have a list of places I would go to again for a daytrip. Thankfully most of the buses I have used were on time and the journeys were very pleasant indeed.”

Included in his tour were Doncaster, Holmfirth, Huddersfield, Todmorden, Burnley, Malton, Pickering Scarborough, Whitby, Batley, Dewsbury, Clitheroe, Nelson, Colne, Ripon, Knaresborough, Oldham, Manchester and Blackpool.

Robert, a retired bank manager, came up with the idea after deciding to use his bus pass to save money on petrol.

The longest trip took him ten hours to complete. He used a total of 78 buses during his jaunts, travelling for the equivalent of 17 days.

He said: “Some days it could be pretty hard going.

“When we went to Blackpool the weather was awful and because it was a Sunday, travelling back wasn’t particularly easy. If I had done that trip on day one I doubt I would have gotten much further, but, all in all, it was a very pleasant experience.

“Most of the time I have just looked out of the window and because I have varied the route as much as possible, I have rarely been bored.

“I’ve certainly had my money’s worth out of my bus pass.”

The Polio Plus campaign, run by the Rotary Foundation, provides funding for mass immunisation campaigns and lab-oratories to help carry out the final stages of global polio eradication.

Rotarians all over the world accepted the challenge to match a donation of $100 million by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to help in the Rotary’s polio eradication effort. This figure is to be reached within the next three years.

Robert and his co-Rotarians are well on the way as he has already raised £1,700 for the cause.

Other members of the Rotary Club of Ilkley have also been collecting sponsorship for Robert who hopes he will know the final amount raised in the New Year.

He said: “People have been very supportive and really cheered me on.

“Lots of locals have given me donations and I know that the Rotary Club members have also been collecting. We are looking to raise over £2,500 for the cause.”