A war veteran who became a high-profile fundraiser and public speaker today appeared in court charged with lying about having PTSD and cancer . Former Royal Signalman Simon Buckden is accused of pretending to suffer from the illnesses in order to obtain money and other perks such as therapy . He is also alleged to have falsely claimed to be a member of the SAS , Leeds Magistrates ' Court was told . Charges : Simon Buckden has been accused of lying about having PTSD and cancer . Buckden , 42 , was chosen to carry the Olympic torch in 2012 after becoming a leading campaigner for victims of PTSD . He also planned to run 100 marathons in 100 weeks in order to raise money for charity Help for Heroes . But in April 2012 , he said he had put the challenge on hold after being diagnosed with rectal cancer . Buckden , from Leeds , was arrested in August last year on suspicion of fraud . He has now been charged with seven counts of fraud by false representation . Campaigner : Buckden was picked to carry the Olympic torch and planned to run 100 marathons in 100 weeks . The court heard that the charges date between October 2009 and December 2013 . Buckden , who served in Iraq , Bosnia , Rwanda and Northern Ireland , spoke only to give his name , address and date of birth . He will next appear at Leeds Crown Court in two weeks ' time . The former soldier was medically discharged from the Army in 2001 , after 12 years of service . Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article .
Simon ##den , meanwhile , becomes a high - profile campaigner for victims of PTSD . He is accused of lying about breast cancer and being a member of the SAS . Buckden will appear at the Crown Court next month .