Preston man to pass through home city tomorrow on cycling mission

Martin Ferguson is attempting to pedal from Land's End to John O'Groats in just four days - a gruelling 240 miles a day, when the trip normally takes around 10-12 days to complete.

Dad of one Martin, 46, from Ashton, who works as a nurse in the Preston community mental health team is riding to raise money for two good causes - the charity Silverline and St Christopher's Church in Lea.

He's a dedicated and experienced cyclist, who rides for Preston Hoppers and after day one today, has made it as far as Bristol.

Martin said: "It's been hard work today, harder than we thought.

"It was dark and blowing a gale when we set off from Land's End this morning."

In fact, Martin and his team, including brother-in-law Antony as support driver, have chosen the same route taken by famed Preston cyclist Gethin Butler who completed the trek in a shade under 45 hours, a record he held for some years.

Martin added: "I've been wanting to do this for quite a few years, the route we've picked is the shortest you can do. But I've not done anything like this before, it's pretty bonkers."

And he revealed his team will set off earlier than planned tomorrow morning to make sure they reach Carnforth, near Lancaster on schedule. If everything goes to plan, they should pass through Preston along the A6 between 4pm and 6pm.

St Christopher's Church in Lea Preston is fund-raising for some much-needed repairs to ensure they continue to provide support to the local community.

And the Silverline charity is one of the church's nominated charity's for this year. It provides a free, confidential helpline for older people.

You can donate to Martin's justgiving page here.