Anna Cottle is undertaking a Red Cross 160-mile walking challenge throughout the island to raise money for refugees.

Last year she took part in the ration challenge, which involved subsisting for a week on identical rations to what refugees fleeing the Syrian civil war are issued in camps.

Anna, who lives in London but grew up in Victoria Terrace, Douglas, said: ’I try to do one big charity challenge a year.’

’I think people are far more likely to engage with these kinds of novel ideas, rather than if I were just sat on my couch asking for people’s money.’

Asked what made her decide to choose this particular cause, she said: ’Simply trying to be as nice a person as is overwhelmingly possible.

’These are people, who before the Syrian war would have had lives just like us. They were doctors, lawyers and nurses - it may be us in the UK who find ourselves in their situation one day.’

So far, she has walked about 73 miles out of 160.

Anna said she needs to average about 8km per day, but is not too concerned about being behind schedule as this gives her more motivation.

The challenge has involved difficult terrain as well as the discovery of some of the island’s hidden gems - such as Port Grenaugh and the scenic stretches of railway between Douglas and Peel.

She said: ’The idea is to make it as hard as possible.

’It’s not meant to be comfortable, as it’s meant to represent the actual length of distance from Tunis to Sicily that refugees have had to walk.

’I’m doing well with my old faithful trainers so far. I have encountered lots of marshes and mud, but I’m just trying to avoid trench foot.’