HOSPICE fundraiser and keen biker Malcolm Dowson is a man with a mission.

Sitting astride his beloved Harley Davidson, the auctioneer took over a special hospice baton at his North Yorkshire home today - as part of its journey to the Olympic Games, in Athens, this summer.

Malcolm has raised thousands of pounds for Martin House Hospice for Children and Young People, at Boston Spa, where staff handed over the baton to him so he could pass it on to another hospice, in Chorley, Lancashire.

The baton started its marathon journey at Northern Ireland's Horizon Hospice, and will pass through the hands of staff at all 32 hospices in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Each hospice will insert a small hand-written letter in the baton as a token of goodwill to the world's top athletes.

Malcolm, of Park Avenue, Sherburn-in-Elmet, near Selby, has been a long-time fundraiser for Martin House Hospice, and two months ago raised £6,500 with an auction.

He faced an 80-mile ride on his top-of-the-range machine today, but said he was proud to be asked to take part in the hospice run.

Updated: 10:27 Friday, May 07, 2004