When University of York student Christopher Morgan was told he had a 95 per cent chance of developing multiple sclerosis, he and two friends took to their bikes to cycle 1,250 miles for charity.

The 20-year-old student cycled to Rome, averaging nearly 100 miles a day, to raise £4,500 for the MS Trust, which he hopes will one day find a cure for the degenerating disease.

Mr Morgan, who went to Malmesbury School in Wiltshire, was told two years ago he had an extremely high chance of developing MS after he underwent routine tests and scans on a numb leg.

He said: “I always wanted to do something that was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity but once I found out about the MS, I thought it would be fitting to do it for them.

“I didn’t know how to feel when they told me it was likely MS would occur. It’s quite nice just knowing that whatever happens now I have done my bit and, fingers crossed, it doesn’t happen.

“I know the MS Trust do a lot of research, so if I do get it and they have found a cure, I like to think that we have contributed towards that.”

Mr Morgan, who works on a farm in Leicestershire, cycled to Rome with fellow students Edward Scobie, 20, from Essex, and Michael Page, 20, from Rochdale.

Mr Morgan said: “We started talking about it at Easter.

“We set our sights on raising £2,000 and we were quite surprised when we raised more than that, so we bumped it up to £3,000.

“The kindness from strangers has been amazing.

“Even my granddad’s heating specialist gave us £20.”

The trio arrived back on a flight from Rome on Sunday after the epic two-week adventure, during which they cycled between 80 and 120 miles a day through the Alps and Tuscany.

They slept in tents and carried supplies on their backs.

Despite a bout of severe sickness and a broken gear and wheel between them, the trio arrived having achieved their 1,250-mile target.

Said Mr Morgan: “I found it hard, both mentally as well as physically, sitting on a bike for eight hours a day.

“We reached a height of about 1,200 metres at one point, but it was stunning.

“In Rome we weren’t really able to get our heads around it, but we are very proud of what we have done.

“This is the one chance I had to do something like this when I was fit enough to be able to do it.”

If you would like to donate towards the friends’ fundraising for the MS Trust, visit http://www.justgiving.com/fromhometorome