PARENTS put aside their Bank Holiday weekend to take part in a 140-mile cycle ride.

Thirteen members of the Friends of St Mary's RC School, in Blackhill, Consett, spent three days cycling along the Coast to Coast route from Workington, in Cumbria to Tynemouth, North Tyneside.

The group, mostly made up of fathers of pupils, aimed to raise hundreds of pounds for new equipment for the school.

Event organiser Phil Clarke said: "We've had a fantastic weekend and really enjoyed ourselves. The ride was hard but we had a sing-song along the way and kept our spirits up.

"I have to pay tribute to the lads for giving up their time to raise the money for the school. They've been tremendous."