Valentine’s Day is an opportunity for lovers to make their partners feel extra special.

Most people do this by showering their better halves with presents, flowers and intimate words, declaring why those people mean the world to them.

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But this year, a young couple from Preston will be doing the exact opposite – spending Valentine’s Day over 500 miles apart.

Simon McNamee, 19, from Leyland, plans to hitchhike from Preston railway station to the Arc de Triomphe in Paris in order to raise money for St Catherine’s Hospice.

Simon has already raised £800 through sponsorship from friends and family, while Mountain Warehouse in Friargate has donated him a sleeping bag

Some would call this a clever tactic to avoid splashing out on expensive gifts or going out for a romantic meal.

But Simon says it was a genuine mistake that his trip to France coincided with Valentine’s Day. He said: “I actually had no idea that it was Valentine’s Day until I told my girlfriend.”

He added:  “It’s a good idea. I’ve had a few friends who have done similar things. I wanted to make it my own.”

Simon’s grandmother was cared for at St Catherine’s Hospice.  He feels that raising money for the charity is one way of showing his gratitude.

He will embark on his journey on Valentine’s Day. Simon plans to walk to New Hall Lane to get a lift to the M6 motorway and then try to get another lift to Dover. Then, after that, he plans to catch a ferry to France.