AN intrepid great-grandfather has crossed the finishing line on an epic ‘tour of faith’ which should raise thousands of pounds for the starving of Bangladesh.

Fred Uttley, 68, from Simonstone, was greeted by youngsters from Holy Name Primary School in Manchester as he completed an 1,100 mile tour of every Catholic diocese in England and Wales.

He was aiming to raise the profile of Hungry For Change, and in particular a food project in Rajshahi, and was accompanied by Paralympian silver medal marathon ace Mark Brown.

Minutes after finishing the final leg, Fred said: “Thanks to everyone for your support during our bike ride - it’s a relief to be back but all worth it to raise awareness for Hungry For Change.”

Tomorrow supporters in East Lancashire will be staging a celebration day for the former plumber, who previously hadn’t been in the saddle for more than 50 years.

And Fred, who set off from Salford Cathedral on June 9, will be sharing some of the experiences of his round-the-country expedition with fellow churchgoers at St Phillip’s, in Slade Lane, Padiham.

Fred came up with the unique challenge while taking part in a fundraising parish quiz and he has never looked back.

The avid Claret has been a supporter of Catholic aid agency CAFOD for more than a decade and became well-known for arranging football tournaments in Africa.

His journey took him to schools, churches and cathedrals in 30 towns, villages and cities. The campaign he is supporting is lobbying Prime Minister David Cameron to address global food inequalities.

The latest updates on Hungry for Change will be relayed by CAFOD diocesan manager Ged Edwards at Fred’s homecoming, which will also feature a photo gallery of his tour highlights.