A 90-year-old reader has praised a regional daily which helped save him from an “arduous” 60-mile round trip to visit his wife each day.

Harry Butterworth has thanked the Lancashire Evening Post after it was able to get his wife Dorothy, who has dementia, transferred to a nursing home closer to where he lives.

Harry, pictured left, initially rang the LEP’s newsdesk to politely complain that Dorothy had been moved from a home in Bamber Bridge, near Preston, to one in the seaside town of St Annes.

The transfer meant Harry faced a journey involving two buses and a half mile walk there and back to visit her.

Reporter Catherine Musgrove spoke to Harry and arranged pictures and a video of his journey.

The LEP planned to splash on the story, but when the newspaper contacted the Lancashire County Council Dorothy was swiftly moved to another nursing home closer to Harry’s home in Lostock Hall, near Preston.

Nevertheless, when the story was published it led to an outpouring of support for Harry, with dozens of people ringing or emailing the newsroom offering to give him lifts to and from the home.

Dorothy is now settled in her new home and Harry is visiting her daily.

He told the Preston-based paper: “Since it went online, it’s gone viral.  I’ve had a lot of people contacting me, offering me a lift, and my niece is compiling a list.

“Everyone’s saying they’re not very happy with the system. The LEP has done well with this one.”

LEP deputy editor Nicola Adam said: “I think it was the fact that Harry wasn’t asking for anything, and was perfectly prepared to undertake the daily arduous journey to see his wife. Harry’s story really touched readers’ hearts.

“This is real love story, he wanted to spend every day with Dorothy and was perfectly prepared to carry out that long journey so he could.

“It is appalling that he found himself in this situation but what was really astonishing was the extent of the readers’ response and how much people really just wanted to help him.

“This was a bad news story that turned into a real positive – and we have a happy ending for this lovely couple.”