FIVE men raised £10,000 when they completed a gruelling 12-day charity bike ride from Land’s End to John O’Groats.

Scantec employee Gareth Knight and four Wirral-based police officers – Andy Groves, Danny Hughes, Jim Riding and Nathan Wilkes – battled through wind and rain to complete their journey.

They cycled at least 5½ hours each day to raise money for Claire House children’s hospice and Ronald McDonald House, at Alder Hey.

Gareth said: “We all wanted to give something to charity, but wanted to test ourselves and give people a reason to support us.

“We started training for the bike ride in November and through Scantec’s contribution and our personal sponsorship pages, we raised a fantastic £10,000 for the charities.

“The most difficult parts to cycle through were the hilly areas such as Dartmoor and also Scotland with the windy weather.

“We all fought through it, though, because we wanted to do the best we could for Claire House, Ronald McDonald House and all the people who supported us.”

The five men cycled between 65 and 100 miles a day and stayed in B&Bs along the way.

Friend Terry Kavanagh drove a van to carry their kit, spares and offer much- needed vocal support.

Kirsty Wright, from Claire House, said: “We rely heavily on the support of the community and businesses because we receive no guaranteed funding.”