Retired Yorkshire travel agent Eric Walton spent six days biking to his own holiday to raise money for a local hospice.

Eric, 68, a partner at Acomb Travel in York, rode more than 400 miles to Padstow in Cornwall earlier this month.

He averaged around 72 miles per day, travelled not less than 49 miles in a single day and completed the journey without a day’s rest.

During much of the journey, he rode solo, apart from on the last day, when he met another cyclist on the road who accompanied him for some of the way.

Eric’s wife Sam and their dog Spikey were close by, travelling down in the family’s motorhome, where Eric stayed each evening.

Eric told the York Press: “There were some stiff hills, especially around The Cotswolds and into Devon. On day two, from Poolsbrook to Meriden, I got absolutely soaked near Derby. It was still another three hours to Meriden.”

On day three, he got drenched within two minutes of setting off.

Sam told the publication she thought her husband was ‘mad’.

She said: “I was watching his Garmin every day, thinking ‘ooh, where’s he gone, what’s happened, he’s done a detour, is everything alright’.

“I was coming down the motorway, pulling into just about every service station to check where he was. Seeing him coming up Padstow harbour I was elated, just so proud.”

Eric then joined Sam, Spikey and four of their friends on holiday in Padstow, returning to Yorkshire on Friday.

A JustGiving page in aid of donations for St Leonard’s Hospice and can be found here.