FATHER And son charity cyclists Tom and Ken Alford have just completed their second major sponsored ride to raise £524 for the CLIC Sargent appeal for children's cancer.

The pedalling pair from Hale rode the 290km from Morecambe to Bridlington along the idyllic Way of the Roses coast to coast route over three days of hard graft and family bonding.

Tom, 45, head of it procurement at Manchester Airport and Ken, 16, a student in the St Ambrose College's sixth form, have been cycling together for five years spending their Sundays winding through the Cheshire Plains and Peak District to keep fit and have fun.

They first put their hobby to profitable use when they cycled the 225km from Emmerich, the last major town in North Western Germany, to the Hook of Holland in just three days in the Summer of 2014, but the British challenge was altogether tougher.

Tom said: “The first day was really quite hard work as we cycled up hill for what seemed like one long climb, but going through the Yorkshire Dales on the second day and down to the East Coast was a bit easier.”

Ken added: “Dad did do a bit of a vanishing act on day one. He got smaller and smaller on back view camera and actually would sometimes disappear altogether only to pop up again. “

He continued: “I think he wanted to keep up so he could tell me about all the history along the route, what this was and what that was and it's significance. It was surprisingly quite interesting and gave the ride a bit of context.”

Intrepid father and son are now busily planning a major expedition before Ken, who wants to study architecture, goes off to university and have their sights set on either Lands End to John O”Groats or the entire Rhine from Switzerland to the North Sea. Tom said: “I quite fancy the Rhine, It's actually pretty much downhill all the way.”

The CLIC Sargent appeal is Manchester Airport's designated charity and is also close to many hearts at St Ambrose College, where mum Sam works as a food technology teacher.