THE father of tragic baby Rhianna Hardie is going on a marathon walk next week to raise funds for the hospital where she was treated.

Matt Hardie is being joined on the four-day, 125-mile hike by his friend Peter Farley to support the intensive care unit at Bristol Children's Hospital.

They will walk up to ten hours a day in memory of Rhianna, who died before her first birthday after a horrific scalding accident in the family's council house in Wellington Road, Taunton.

She was showered in boiling water as she slept in her cot after a water tank burst in the loft over her bedroom.

Hundreds of people from all over the world sent in messages of hope as the youngster fought for life, only to lose her battle in December, after the County Gazette published the story exclusively.

Matt, who is taking a week off from his job as a civil engineer, said: "I wanted to do something to show how grateful I was for the way they treated Rhianna in hospital and to help other children.

"The walk is going to be tough - the furthest I've ever walked before is to the corner shop or into town, so I'm expecting to get a few blisters."

Matt, who live with Rhianna's mother, Charlie, and the couple's two-year-old daughter Emily, added: "Things are going well for us at the moment after all the heartache.

"We've settled into a new home and are rebuilding our lives."

*Matt and Peter, who are setting off on Monday, have appealed to Gazette readers to sponsor their mammoth walk.