A grandfather from Florida is flying to England for the first time ever – so he can run in the London Marathon in aid of a High Wycombe charity.

Julio Serrant, 65, a former staff sergeant in the US Army, is hoping to raise large amounts of cash to help patients with life-limiting conditions at South Bucks Hospice.

Part of his motivation is that his mother, Monserrate, was looked after by a hospice in New York during her last days after suffering from cervical cancer.

He was linked up via social media with South Bucks Hospice when a friend told him the charity was looking for a runner after being allocated one place in the London Marathon on Sunday, April 28.

Speaking from his home in Havana, Florida, Julio said: “The reason I am running first of all is that I believe all hospices are great organisations.

“They provide comfort and protection for people. We need safe places such as these for our loved ones and even for ourselves when we are going through hard times.”

Julio, now a deputy marshall at the Supreme Court in Florida after serving 20 years in the Army, only took up long-distance running aged 52 as a hobby to maintain fitness.

But his goal now is to complete six major marathons – and London will be number four after New York, Chicago and Berlin.

His best time over the 26-mile course is four hours 19 minutes. After London, he hopes to conquer Boston and Tokyo.

Julio, a divorced father-of-two, will be arriving in London on April 25 and leaving on the 30th.

“I am so excited - it is a dream of mine come true, since the Beatles invasion in the 70s. I have always been intrigued with London - the people and the landmarks,” he said.

Ben O’Keefe, community fundraiser for South Bucks Hospice, said: “We are so thrilled and grateful to have Julio running on our behalf.

“We put out an appeal last year for a runner to represent us and were stunned and delighted to learn our plea had been heard all the way across the Atlantic.”

Julio’s official target is around £1,200 but he hopes to collect a lot more.

South Bucks Hospice, based at Butterfly House, supports patients living with life-limiting or life threatening illnesses with patient-centred carethrough the provision of specialist palliative, psychotherapeutic and lymphoedema care.

It also supports families and carers.

To donate to Julio, go to uk.virginmoneygiving.com/JulioSerrant.