A FATHER and his 13-year-old daughter have completed a 333-mile charity cycle ride despite having their bikes stolen hours before they set off.

Simon and Grace Stewart-Piercy pedalled from Durham Cathedral to Buckingham Palace over five days, finishing the 333.9-mile route on Friday (July 25).

The effort has already raised £900 for the homelessness charity Shelter.

But they almost had to abandon the challenge, after thieves stole six bikes, worth around £3,000 in total, from the family home in Lanchester, County Durham, over the weekend before the ride began on Monday (July 21).

Thankfully, a few phone calls to friends produced two loan bikes for the route and, after a bit of tinkering from Mr Stewart-Piercy, the ride went ahead as planned.

The pair endured sweltering heat every day except Friday, when thunder and lightning hit London.

They stopped overnight at Selby, Market Rasen, Peterborough and Bishops Stortford and their longest day was 85 miles.

Mr Stewart-Piercy, 47, said: “Each day was long and hard. Each county we went through was experiencing its hottest day of the year.

“But looking back, the week went very quickly.”

It was Grace’s third long-distance cycle ride. She cycled the coast-to-coast aged nine and 200 miles from Durham to Edinburgh aged 11.

To sponsor the pair, visit justgiving.com/palaces