A GROUP of Skipton people joined thousands of others to help complete a 24,900-mile walk around the world in solidarity with refugees.

Last Sunday, about 15 supporters of the international development charity Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (CAFOD ) contributed 128 miles to the challenge as they completed a walk along the Leeds and Liverpool Canal to Silsden, where they met with another group of walkers coming from Keighley.

Catholics from England and Wales have been supporting the campaign, launched by Pope Francis in September 2017, and have already walked more than 24,900 miles - the distance around the world.

Now, they are aiming to walk the equivalent of the distance again.

The campaign calls on Prime Minister Teresa May to ensure that the UK takes a lead during UN refugee negotiations to ensure that people forced to flee their homes are treated with dignity.

Sheila Gregory, one of the walkers, said: “All of us felt the need to walk in solidarity with refugees fleeing war, persecution and poverty around the world. In a poignant moment, we stopped at the memorial to the Polish airmen and stood in silence to remember all who have died far from their homes. We also carried with us a Lampedusa Cross, made by a carpenter on the Island from the wood of a wrecked boat which had carried refugees.”

CAFOD ‘s representative in Leeds, Bronagh Daly, said: “We want to say a massive thank you to the community in Skipton for their walk. They came together and showed local leaders that protecting refugees and migrants is an important issue to their communities. Share the Journey will deliver a powerful message to world leaders that we want new global agreements that ensure refugees and migrants can live fairly and with dignity.” To find out more about the campaign, to to: cafod.org.uk/sharethejourney