INSPIRATIONAL war veteran Captain Tom Moore has been hailed as a hero after completing 100 laps of his garden - and collecting more than £12 million for the NHS.

Captain Tom completed the final four of the 25-metre laps at his Bedfordshire home on Thursday morning (April 16, 2020), with a special guard of honour by the 1st battalion of the Yorkshire Regiment.

WATCH THE MOMENT HE COMPLETES HIS 100TH LAP BELOW

Reaction from Captain Tom

Speaking at the finish line, he said he felt "fine" and that he was "surrounded by the right sort of people".

Of the coronavirus pandemic, he added: "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."

He planned to reach his target before his 100th birthday on April 30 to help those on the front line of the coronavirus crisis.

'An inspiration to us all'

Captain Tom's achievements were singled out by Matt Hancock during the Wednesday evening press conference at Downing Street.

In his opening address, the Health Secretary said: “I want to pay a special tribute today to Captain Tom Moore.

“Captain Tom, you’re an inspiration to us all, and we thank you.”

How can I make a donation?

You can still donate to Tom's appeal at his Just Giving page.