A SCHOOLBOY and his 70-year-old granddad have cycled the breadth of the country to raise funds for Diabetes UK.

Jack Brown, 14, from Tadcaster, and his granddad, Harry Brown, completed the epic 140-mile journey from Whitehaven to Sunderland in four days, passing through the Lake District, the Northern Pennines and the Durham Dales.

Harry, who suffers from Type 2 diabetes, is a seasoned cyclist – using the sport as a way of controlling his illness.

But for Jack, it was his first long-distance cycle ride. He said: “It was quite tough in places, especially going up the big hills.

“On Sunday we had at least 60 mile-an-hour winds on the tops and it was also tipping it down with rain. That was hard.

“I was relieved and tired when we reached the end, but I was also proud that I’d managed to get all the way across. It’s the first time I’ve ever done a long bike ride.”

Jack, who is a Year 9 pupil at Tadcaster Grammar School and works part-time at Dawson and Clarke hair salon in the town, has raised nearly £200 for Diabetes UK.

He wanted to support this charity because not only does his grandfather have the condition, but also his grandmother, Margaret Buxton, and several friends.

He said: “My friends who have diabetes have got to inject themselves with insulin every day, but it’s just a normal part of life for them now.”

Diabetes UK is a charity that funds research into the condition, campaigns for better services and helps people to live with the condition.

To make a donation, send cheques made payable to Diabetes UK to Diabetes UK, Macleod House, 10 Parkway, London, NW1 7AA.