by Jenni Horn

Comedian Billy Connolly is backing a man's bid to set up a victim support charity in his sister's memory.

The funny man - who is currently on TV travelling the famous Route 66 in the United States - is one of more than 6,000 people who have signed a petition started by father-of-four Peter Morris (pictured), of Kingswood Road, Gillingham, calling for more help for victims involved in long court cases.

Mr Morris's sister Claire Morris, who was originally from Upchurch, was killed by her husband Malcolm Webster in 1994.

It was first thought 32-year-old Claire died in a car crash, but Webster had in fact drugged his wife of eight months and staged the accident on a quiet Aberdeenshire road.

Webster was convicted of Claire's murder - and the attempted murder of his second wife Felicity - in July, and sentenced to 30 years in jail.

Mr Morris, 48, handed over the signatures to the Scottish parliament at the end of a walk across Scotland.

He had planned to walk from Claire's grave in Aberdeenshire to Edinburgh.

But he had to do part of the journey by car after he got an infection in his foot and ended up in hospital for four days.

Mr Morris did manage to walk the final mile, with the help of crutches.

The walk also marked the start of Mr Morris's fundraising to set up a victim support charity in memory of Claire and open a retreat for victims of crime.

He said: "Through the walk I have raised awareness of what victims of crime have to go through and put the subject on the agenda of the Scottish Parliament.

"I was delighted to get so many signatures on the petition. Billy Connolly was one of several high-profile names to sign it."