Sir John Franklin set sail in search of the North West Passage

Ralph Baker Cresswell, 32, from Bamburgh, is a direct descendant of a Royal Navy officer who went in search of legendary explorer, Sir John Franklin.

In 1845 Franklin, celebrated for eating his own boots to survive a previous expedition, set off in his ships the Erebus and Terror, to discover the North West Passage - a much sought after trade route to link the Atlantic to the Pacific.

He was never to return and 129 men died when the two ships were lost.

Lieutenant Samuel Gurney Cresswell went in search of Franklin five years later aboard HMS Investigator.

Although unsuccessful in finding Sir John, the crew of the Investigator ironically became the first to complete the North West Passage by foot.

Now the Northumberland roofing contractor is to join the first ever team to retrace the final steps of Franklin's men.

Mr Baker Creswell said: "When I heard about the expedition I was very keen to be involved due to the unique family link.

"It's not every day that one gets the opportunity to follow in an ancestors footsteps - literally."

He sets off on 18 April, joining the American Express Franklin Memorial Expedition.

The journey will cover 200 miles and take them around King William Island in the Arctic Ocean, where Franklin's ships were abandoned and bones were later found.