HE left for his 500-mile challenge as an apprentice at the New Coronet Bingo Club in Didcot.

And impressively Josh Davis was promoted to assistant manager on his return.

The 25-year-old, who lives in the town, completed the 500-mile trans-Pyreneeanhike following the popular Camino de Santiago route.

He said: “It was a really tough but enjoyable challenge.

“I didn’t do any training beforehand. I just went straight from my apprenticeship to hiking 500 miles, which made it a challenge in itself.”

Mr Davis started in St Jean Pied de Port in the South of France, hiking over the Pyrenees all the way across Spain to the North West city of Santiago de Compestela.

He said: “It took me from May 11 to June 4 to complete the hike.

“I started by walking with my boss and his girlfriend for the first few days but then after that I walked by myself.

“At first I would listen to music to stop myself from feeling lonely but once I took the headphones out I was able to fully appreciate the beauty of the scenery surrounding me.”

Mr Davis is donating all proceeds from the hike to Muscular Dystrophy UK.

He said: “My brother suffers from Muscular Dystrophy and it’s a charity that is really close to my family. So far, I’ve already raised £1,230 and it’s more than I could ever have expected to raise so I’m really thrilled.”

Director of New Coronet Bingo Club, Laurie Carpenter said: “All the staff and customers are immensely proud of Josh’s achievement.”

Mr Davis added: “It’s been such a good experience which I would recommend to anyone. I’ve met some great people along the way and been around so many people of different nationalities, cultures and religions where everyone is so friendly.

“I’d like to say a big thank you for all of the support over the past month and for everyone who donated to this great charity.”

* If you would like to donate please visit justgiving.com/Josh-Davis2/