A CHATTERIS journalist is preparing to cycle the length of the country in a 1,000 mile charity bike ride in memory of his father.

James Fuller - who describes himself as a non-cyclist - will tackle the Land’s End to John O’Groats challenge in a tribute to his father Tony, who died from a heart attack in 2009.

The determined 38-year-old is raising money for the British Heart Foundation with the marathon effort, which starts on June 10.

Mr Fuller said: “It’s definitely going to be the biggest challenge I’ve ever done. It’s averaging 70 miles a day for 14 days so it’s a huge challenge.

“I’m not a cyclist at all really. The only bit of cycling I’ve done in the last 25 years was an ill-advised London to Brighton bike ride. I couldn’t walk for a week after that.

“I have been training for two months now and the thing that I’m most concerned about is the hills. I’m just going to take it day by day, hill by hill.

“Fortunately Heath Fletcher at Bodywise Cycles has been giving me plenty of advice and I’ve unintentionally provided him with amusement in return. I’m yet to be convinced about middle-aged men in lycra though.”

Mr Fuller, a former Cambridge News journalist who lives in New Road, Chatteris, has already raised more than �500.

He said: “Everyone knows somebody affected by heart disease. Dad was a very fit man, active his whole life but heart disease really can affect anyone and the British Heart Foundation does tremendous work in the fight against it.

“Dad was a Chatteris man through and through and well-known in the area, especially in the farming fraternity through his work with Fengrain and Dalgety. It would be lovely to raise a significant sum in his memory.”

You can sponsor James on his fundraising page at www.justgiving.com/James-Fuller1 or, alternatively, sponsorship forms are located at Fengrain Ltd, in Hook Lane, Wimblington and Bodywise Cycles, 6 High Street, Chatteris.