A TEAM of intrepid cyclists teamed up to raise more than £7,000 for the Maggs Homeless Day Centre in Worcester by riding from Land’s End to John O’Groats.

Chris Hale joined forces with his three sons and friend Bob McNaughton for the gruelling trip from the southern tip of Cornwall to the northernmost point in Scotland.

The team braved the weather and roads as they rode the 952 miles in just nine days, averaging 106 miles per day.

Battling heavy winds and less than brilliant roads, the team all made it safe to John O’Groats, although they had to deal with several punctures along the way.

Mr Hale said: “Physically we all stood up surprisingly well. The body adapts quite quickly to riding over 100 miles a day.

“The toughest part of the route was undoubtedly the climb up to Shap Fell on the edge of the Lake District in the face of a 25mph wind.

“The Cornwall stage was tough too because it was longest, involved the most climbing and the state of the road surfaces was dire.”

Mel Kirk, chief executive of the Maggs Centre, said: “What an epic journey to travel so far in such a short amount of time. The Hale family are amazing!

“The money raised will be used to enabling us to continue to run our day centre.

“This is the core of our services and provides a drop-in five days a week to the homeless and vulnerable of Worcester.”

The Maggs Homeless Day Centre provides food, washing facilities, a health hub and support to those in need including advice, medical help or a hot meal.