A MAN from Rossmore has cycled over 930 miles to raise money for the British Heart Foundation after suffering from a heart attack himself.

John Clark, 51, who lives on Arne Avenue, travelled from the most northerly point in the UK, Dunnet Head in Scotland, back to Poole by himself over the space of 18 days and raised £355 for the good cause.

John, who is dad to Bridie, 28, Lydia, 26, and Luke, 25, said: "I have always been riding a bike anyway but I did it purely for the adventure."

He added: "I had a heart attack about 18 months ago in November 2013, which just came out of the blue and I was in hospital for about a week. I'm on medication now and I also have rheumatoid arthritis.

"I hope that hearing about what I have done on this cycle will be uplifting for others who have had a heart attack."

Asked about how he trained for the huge task, John said that it had been in planning since December. He added: "I'm not a professional rider. I'm just a bloke that likes to ride a bike and go out with my girlfriend, Ellie, and oldest daughter, Bridie, on our bikes. Sometimes we get the train to Dorchester or Southampton and then spend the day riding back to Poole."

John said that he stayed in B&Bs and hostels some nights and on campsites and camped in the wild on other days, with one person that he met along the way donating £50 to support John's challenge for the British Heart Foundation.

The charity is the largest independent funder of cardiovascular research, which aims to transform the lives of people living with heart and circulatory conditions.

For more information, go to Justgiving.com/john-clark280