England cricket star Ben Stokes has hailed a 99 year-old war veteran as a hero for completing 100 laps of his garden in an NHS fundraiser.

Captain Tom Moore completed the final laps to 100 of an endurance effort at his home on Thursday.

The war hero was saluted over the line by his peers, a guard of honour from the 1st Battalion Yorkshire Regiment.

Speaking at the finish line of his fundraiser for the heroes, Mr Moore said that he was surrounded by "the right sort of people."

Mr Moore trained as a civil engineer prior to enlisting in the army to fight for his country in the Second World War.

His efforts were in aid of NHS front-line workers who are currently battling the coronavirus outbreak and the veteran raised over £12 million for the worthy cause.

The figure makes him the most successful individual fundraiser on the Just Giving website.

Mr Moore even had words of support for the public while the coronavirus outbreak continues. He said: ""We will get through it in the end but it might take time, but at the end of the day we shall all be okay again... the sun will shine on you again and the clouds will go away."

Mr Moore achieved his goal of completing 100, 25-metre laps of his garden in Bedfordshire before his 100th birthday on April 30.

And he captured the hearts of the public in the process, leading to an outpouring of support.

Celebrities joined the wellwishers, sending video messages including England cricketer Ben Stokes.

In his message to Mr Moore, Stokes said: "What you have managed to achieve is absolutely fantastic, the funds that you have managed to raise for the real heroes today is absolutely sensational.

He said: "I hope I'm moving just as well as you at 50 never mind 100.

"Keep up all the great work and you should be seriously proud of what you have done."

Stokes, who lived in Sandair Cockermouth as a boy and attended Cockermouth School, shot to fame in

became one of the lucky recipients of the Sports Personality of the Year Award in 2019.

He also received a lofty accolade when he was presented with an OBE at Buckingham Palace.