THE boss of a Northallerton department store is preparing for a gruelling charity challenge which will cover almost a thousand miles.

Charles Barker, managing director of Barkers, will pedal from Lands End to John O' Groats to raise funds for the Pendragon Community Trust.

Mr Barker has already raised £3,300 while trust chairman David Kerfoot has also raised £2,000 on his behalf.

He said: "He will have a sore backside when he's finished.

"I think it's a tremendous effort, we hope to raise five or six thousand pounds.

"It will mean so much to our little charity in our efforts to try and find somewhere to build a high quality facility for severely disabled people, starting off with a five or six-bed unit."

Mr Barker rides to work and back most days and cycles 50 to 60 miles at weekends. Last year, he cycled from London to Paris.

"I had not really done much cycling since I was a teenager when I got involved with this one last year," said Mr Barker.

"This year's is 990 miles - much longer than I've ever done before.

"It's definitely a mid-life crisis I'm going through, but I'm enjoying it very much and I'm fitter now than I used to be."

The Lands End to John O' Groats challenge will take ten days to complete and will cover a variety of terrain, including Dartmoor and the Lake District.