'KNIGHT HIM!'
Piers Morgan calls for war hero Captain Tom Moore, 99, to get knighthood as he raises £9m for the NHS
PIERS Morgan is calling for 99-year-old WWII veteran Captain Tom Moore to be knighted after his fundraising for the NHS sailed past the £9million mark today.
The Good Morning Britain host, 55, has championed Captain Tom's fundraising efforts after inviting him to appear on the show last week.
The war hero was determined to raise £1,000 for NHS Charities Together by walking 100 lengths of his garden in Marston Moretaine, Beds, with the help of his zimmer frame.
But thanks to Piers' support, his appearance on GMB and the tale of his 100-length walk going viral on social media, Captain Tom has so far raised an incredible £9,000,000 and counting.
Piers is now championing for Captain Tom to be honoured with a knighthood.
Speaking on today's GMB, before Captain Tom hit the £5 million mark, Piers said: "I've just launched a campaign on Twitter, as it's suddenly come to me.
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"Wouldn't it be nice to see Captain Tom Moore, who served his country in World War Two and has now raised over £4 million for the NHS in a week, knighted for his service to to the country?
"He's 100 on April 30th. Wouldn't it be great if we didn't feel temptation to give it to business people, who pay money for the honour, or to celebrities for singing nice songs.
"But we give it to someone like him. That we make him Sir Tom. I think it will be great. If you're with me, let's get a campaign going and let's give him something back."
Taking to Twitter, the star added: "I’d like to see the magnificently inspiring @captaintommoore be knighted for his services to his country in WW2 & now to the NHS. Who’s with me?"
90-year-old woman raising cash by climbing 2,400ft mountain - on her stairs
A 90-YEAR-OLD woman is also raising money for the NHS - by climbing a mountain on her stairs.
Margaret Payne is planning to climb the height of Suilven, a mountain near where she lives in Ardvar, in the Scottish Highlands.
She has said it will take two months and 282 trips up the stairs to cover the 2,398ft, and is hoping to raise £10,000 for the NHS in the process.
Mrs Payne first climbed the mountain aged 15 in 1944 when she was evacuated to the Highlands with her sister during World War Two.
She wrote on her fundraising page: “I have now lived in the Highlands for over 40 years and I would like to raise funds to support the NHs in particular at this difficult time and especially in return for the extraordinary support we have received personally at Ardvar.”
She added: “In addition we are giving some support to the Highland Hospice.
Mrs Payne has so far raised over £1,800.
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Piers' campaign has been met with plenty of support from followers.
One fan tweeted: "Some people receive knighthoods for basically doing sod all...
"Captain Tom has inspired a country and fought in the war for Queen an country... He definitely deserves a knighthood."
Another follower, who is in the military, added: "As an Army Officer myself, this is incredibly inspiring and indicative of his generation..... I’m right alongside you Piers."
A third has even suggested: "I’d also like a NHS hospital named 'The Captain Tom Moore’ hospital.
"Outside should be a statue of him, in his blazer, with his badges with his zimmer frame as a reminder to us how much one person can do, even at his age, when they choose to act."
Captain Tom aims to complete the 100 laps before his 100th birthday at the end of the month.
With the aid of his frame, he hopes to walk the 100 laps of his 25 metre garden in 10-lap stints each time.
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Piers has already donated £10,000 of his own money to the cause and cash from well-wishers around Britain and the world is continuing to pour in by the minute.
At the start of the Second World War, Captain Tom was enlisted in 145 Regiment Royal Armoured Corps and was chosen for officer training in 1940, rising to the rank of Captain.
Captain Tom was posted in the 9DWR in India and went on to serve his country in Arakan and Burma.
He became an instructor at The Armoured Fighting Vehicle School in Bovington, Dorset, upon his return to the UK.
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He has now settled in Bedfordshire with his family, where he helps in the family business, the Maytrix Group.
- Tom is walking for the NHS and donations can be still be made on .
WW2 veteran Tom Moore, 99, raises MILLIONS for NHS as he walks 100 laps of his garden
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