FOUR months after having an operation to remove a cancerous prostate, a determined North-East man has completed a 220-mile charity cycle ride.

Dai Hayward, of Darlington, tackled the coast-to-coast challenge to raise money for research efforts into treatment for prostate cancer at Sunderland Royal Infirmary.

Mr Hayward, accompanied by his friends Nigel Little and Tim Neville, rode the transpennine trail from Southport, on the west coast, to Hornsea, on the east coast.

Mr Hayward, 50, was diagnosed with prostate cancer last year and prompt treatment appears to have resulted in a cure.

He said: "Women have done a great job in raising the profile of breast cancer. It is about time men took the same campaigning approach to their prostates."

The money was raised to enable Dr Damian Greene and his researchers at Sunderland to find was of diagnosing the disease earlier.

He is pioneering the use of a cryogenic treatment that could result in patients only being admitted to hospital overnight and then being able to return to a normal life within 48 hours.

Dr Greene said: "Significant progress has recently been made in coming to grips with diseases of the prostate, but much more remains to be done.

"We are always grateful for sponsorship of our research, which will help us to make advances more quickly."