A dedicated worker took on an eight-and-a-half-hour trek through the snow, walking 15 miles, to get to work.

Peter Cartwright, of Ashford, switched between trains, lifts from strangers and foot-slogging in his wellies to get to his job, 55 miles away at Guy’s Hospital in London.

The loyal radiographer has spent the past three nights at work to avoid missing shifts as roads and public transport remained disrupted by snow and ice. Mr Cartwright, 52, told the Kentish Express: “I didn’t want to let my colleagues down. Besides, I love my job and like a challenge.”

Mr Cartwright’s marathon trek began at 5.30am on Monday when he left his Essella Road home to catch the train from Ashford International station to London Bridge to reach Guy’s Hospital.

The snowfall, the worst for 18 years, had thrown public transport into disarray, with trains to London cancelled.

Having warned his employers he would struggle in late, he took the 6.45am train as far as Maidstone East and from there walked 10 miles to Borough Green.

There he stopped at a transport cafe, had breakfast and asked whether any drivers were going in his direction. A van driver took him as far as Swanley and from there he walked five miles to Eltham, south east London. He found a motorist who took him to Bermondsey, where he caught the Tube to London Bridge, arriving at work at 2pm.

Mattress

His shift was from 9am to 5pm, although he had hoped to come in at 7am to catch up with extra work. He has slept on a mattress in the hospital’s X-ray department since Monday, coming home again today.

He said: “My colleagues were pleased that I had made the effort to come in, although I am angry with myself for not coming in on Sunday night to avoid being delayed.”

For more on this story, see this week's Kentish Express