UNSUSPECTING Altrincham residents were surprised to see 75 cycling Santas heading for the market on Sunday - and even more surprised to see them tucking into fish & chips at the end of their ride.

The spectacle was in aid of Cheshire children’s charity, the Children’s Adventure Farm Trust, as each of the cycling Santas was raising funds to provide Christmas parties to terminally ill, disabled and disadvantaged children from all over the region.

Their efforts raised £1,500.

This was the second annual event organised by Ian Elliott of the Timperley Boneshakers Cycling Club, and they were over the moon with the response from the community.

Cyclists of all abilities tackled either a 30 mile or 60 mile circular route, starting at 9am at Altrincham Market. Both routes took in many local beauty spots, including Tatton Park for the 30 mile route and Delamere Forest for the 60 mile route.

The cyclists all had a welcome pit stop at the charity’s Millington base where volunteers treated the cyclists to a glass of mulled wine and a mince pie.

During their stop, they donned their free Santa suit which they then wore for the last leg of their challenge through Dunham Massey. Upon their return to the Altrincham Market, each cyclist was treated to a hearty fish and chip lunch at Altrincham Fish Bar to celebrate their achievements.

Jure Modic, sports and challenges fundraiser from CAFT, said: “This was such a fantastic day, we were absolutely delighted by both the turnout of Santas and the amount they have raised.

"The sight of all of those cycling Santas really is something we’ll never forget, and we’ll be eternally grateful to them all for braving the wet and windy weather to take part.

"The money raised on the day will help us to bring some festive magic into the lives of some very special children from our region, we really can’t thank Timperley Boneshakers and everyone who took part enough."