A TEAM of paramedics are cycling through the region on a mission to visit all the hazardous accident response bases in the UK.

The four cyclists from the London Ambulance Service (LAS) today travelled through North Yorkshire and the North-East on their way to the Hazardous Area Response Team (HART) base in Newcastle.

The team will cover 1,200 miles in 16 days in a bid to reach all the country’s bases and were due to reach Newcastle this evening. They are raising money for Help for Heroes.

HART staff are specially trained and equipped paramedics employed by the NHS who respond to major incidents.

The paramedic injured in the gas explosion at a bungalow in Marian Court, Gateshead on Monday was based with the HART station. He was taken to Newcastle’s Royal Victoria Infirmary, but his injuries were not thought to be life-threatening.

Stopping for a lunch-break in Northallerton yesterday, one of the cyclists, Stephen Macciochi, said: “We’re on a 100-mile stage of the cycle ride today.

“So far we’ve raised £2,600 for Help for Heroes, but since we’ve stopped here this lunchtime we’ve had loads of donations given. It’s probably over £3,000 already.”

The cyclists are due to set off for Liverpool tomorrow morning, stopping off at the Tan Hill Inn on the Yorkshire Dales, following a gruelling ascent to the highest pub in the UK.

They will complete their journey on Bank Holiday Tuesday, June 5, when they arrive back in London.

To sponsor the cyclists visit the website; bmycharity.com/harttohart.

The cyclists are also keeping a blog at; http://las-hart2hart.blogspot.co.uk