A HIKE to recreate the dangers that refugees face turned into a real emergency for fundraiser Helen Lorton after her charity trip ended in an emergency call out.

Mrs Lorton set off to walk 177 miles along Offa’s Dyke, the English Welsh boarder, to raise awareness of the dangerous journeys refugees face to get to safety.

She packed her own tent and basic provisions for the 11 day journey, and set off with months of training behind her.

However by day nine the route along gruelling terrain had taken its toll and she was forced to call 999 for emergency help. Exhausted and dehydrated she ended the journey but raised £1300 for Wiltshire For Refugees, having proven her point of the conditions faced by vulnerable people.

She said, “Along the walk I experienced days of breath-taking beauty, peace and tranquillity, it really hit me how lucky I was and how I felt that all of us humans deserve to be surrounded by peace and beauty.

The days that were tough, when I was fatigued and hurting, I thought a lot about refugees taking long journeys, without the equipment I had, food, support, shelter and the knowledge that I had a home and family to return too.

“Finally, when I got terribly lost, exhausted and dehydrated and was rescued by our amazing emergency services, taken to hospital and looked after, I kept thinking about what I would have done without access to the help I needed, the language to ask for the help and if the medical support simply wasn’t there.”

Now fully recovered, she is determined to finish the route this summer to complete the final two days.

Mrs Lorton from Corsham runs the cafe at Pounds arts Centre in the town.

Shelley Rawlins of Wiltshire for Refugees said: "Helen’s experience has brought it home just how physically and psychologically gruelling the journeys families and children have to make are.”