AFTER cycling the length of the country for charity Stewart Hurst wanted nothing more than a pint of his favourite beer.

Stewart, of Pelton, completed the 970-mile marathon ride from Lands End to John O'Groats to raise money for Marie Curie Cancer Care.

Averaging more than 65 miles a day, he helped his local pub, the Crown Inn, to raise more than £6,000 for the charity.

Stewart decided to do the sponsored ride after a friend died of cancer. He said: "When I decided to cycle from Lands End to John O' Groats, Marie Curie was the first charity that I thought of as it means a great deal to me."

"The journey took me 16 days to complete, but it was well worth it and when I finally finished I could think of nothing better than sitting down to a pint of Stones back at the Crown Inn."

Stewart's ride tied in with a fundraising weekend at the pub for Marie Curie, which included a raffle, sponsored dominoes and cards, and a sponsored football match.

Landlord Ian Lish, who organised the events, said: "The weekend was great fun and, what's more, it raised a lot of money for a very worthy cause."