TWO teenage air cadets covered 50 miles on the ground to support a high flying rescue service.

Daniel Lyons, aged 17, from Tow Law, and 15-year-old Jamie Readman, from Crook, both in County Durham, organised a day-long sponsored bike ride for the Great North Air Ambulance.

They rode from Consett to Sunderland and back, arranging for transport for the bikes at the start and end of the day.

Daniel, a sixth form student at St John's Catholic School, in Bishop Auckland, wants to be a pilot, but may have to apply to commercial companies instead of the RAF to train.

He said: "We chose the air ambulance because of the links with flying. I am desperate to join the RAF, but they won't take me because I suffer from hay fever. In any case, they are not recruiting at the moment and I have decided to look into the possibility of training with a commercial airline.

"Jamie also wants to join the RAF, but as an engineer."

The pair visited the ambulance's base at Durham and Tees Valley International Airport on Saturday to hand over the £130 they raised. They are both members of the 2505 Bishop Auckland Air Cadets.