United vice-president Sir Ian Botham has launched a 12th long-distance charity walk for a leukaemia charity, which will travel through nine UK towns.

This year, for the first time, members of the public can join the cricketing legend on the trek in return for sponsorship.

The walk will take place between October 10 to 18, starting in Taunton where he began his sporting career.

The town was also where he first met children with leukaemia and was spurred on to start fundraising for Leukaemia Research, a charity which he is president of.

Sir Ian said: "In 1985, when I first started walking to raise funds for Leukaemia Research, the survival rate for young people with leukaemia was 20pc, now the survival rate is 80pc."

"Join me on my 2008 walk and together we will help beat this terrible disease. I am determined to see all children survive in my lifetime."

The walk will visit Windsor, Tunbridge Wells, Bury St Edmunds, Stratford-Upon-Avon, Llandudno, Harrogate and Milngavie, finishing in Durham where he ended his professional cricket career.

Leukaemia Research is aiming to raise more than £100m in the next five years for new research into the disease.

For more information, visit www.bothamwalk.com.