A GREAT Sankey man has been raising money for a Newcastle cancer charity after it cared for his uncle before he died in June.

Stuart Eckford, of Vine Crescent, started his challenge of cycling from his home to the Newcastle hospice the same way it finished – in the pouring rain.

The 49-year-old said: “It was a real challenge and was absolutely chucking it down when I started on October 23 and then on October 26 when I was completing the last leg to the hospice.

“I did it on my own so there were times when I found it very difficult but I just kept in mind why I was doing it and that helped me keep going.”

Stuart, who works as an auditor, raised more than £600 in memory of his uncle Stan for Marie Curie Cancer Care after cycling the gruelling 169-mile journey over four days.

He added: “My uncle spent his last few months at the Marie Curie centre in Newcastle.

“They did a fantastic job helping him and I thought I would like to raise some money for them.

“Some of the nurses came out to meet me when I got to the hospice and it was great to see them.”

Stuart was cheered on by his parents, who live just outside Newcastle, and his wife Dawn, who regularly sent him good luck texts to keep him going.

The keen cyclist almost completed the entire journey without a puncture before he had to stop to change his tyre two miles before the finish line.

Stuart added: “I couldn’t believe it when I’d got so close to the end.

“It took about 20 minutes to change and I had to unload all the equipment I had been carrying on the bike which weighed four stone five pounds.”

To donate visit justgiving.com/stuarteckford.