INSPIRED by Eddie Izzard’s fund-raising challenge for Sport Relief, a Snods Edge man has cycled more than 1,000 miles from Land’s End to John O’Groats – and beyond.

Experienced canoeist and kayaker, Richard Bunney, decided it was time for a change in his method of transport for the challenge which he completed in 16 days to raise money for St Oswald’s Hospice.

“My dad and a friend of mine have both been battling cancer and I thought, because I’m lucky enough to be fit and healthy, it was time to do something for those who aren’t,” said Richard, who works as an audit manager for British Airways.

“Eddie Izzard ran 27 marathons in 27 days so I thought cycling about 80 miles a day wouldn’t be that difficult!”

But Richard, a former member of Hexham Canoe Club, admitted he totally underestimated the journey after getting the train to Penzance and beginning on March 12.

“I only bought the bike from Giant in Prudhoe the day before I went,” he admitted.

“I took a tent and a sleeping bag with me and found the nearest Post Office to send it back to myself after the first night!

“I got lost in Devon a few times and had to buy a GPS; it feels like hills around there are made of sticky treacle.

“And when I arrived in Tewkesbury on the first day of the Cheltenham Festival and couldn’t find a bed for the night I thought I was in real trouble.”

It was only thanks to kindly landlords at the last pub Richard visited just before 11pm that he found somewhere to sleep.

“They set up a bed for me in the function room,” he explained.

“It really was the kindness of the people I met, all along the route, which made it.

“It’s restored a bit of my faith in humanity.”

As Richard crossed the Scottish Border, he was joined by friend Colin Dickson and a tandem, pedalled by Andrew Brownlow and Harriet Auty, also accompanied him through Inverness.

He powered on after reaching John O’Groats and, with the help of ferries, decided to call it a day once he’d reached Scalloway Castle on Shetland on March 28.

Richard, who has already raised over £1,500 which will be split between St Oswald’s and the British Airways Comic Relief charity, Flying Start, said: “The official route is something like 873 miles but the way I did it was about 1,050. It was a fantastic experience.”

To make a donation visit www.mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/richardbunney