MORE than 200 Father Christmases got on their motorcycles for charity yesterday. (Saturday, December 8).

This year’s Annual Boundary Motorcycle run attracted 207 bikers, easily the biggest number since just 28 took part in 2006.

The bikers tour the boundaries of Teesside from Thornaby in the west to Redcar in the east to raise money for Zoe’s Hospice.

The first ride raised £1,500 and last year’s record, when 135 bikes took place raised £22,000.

However, organiser Brian Laverick said the money raised is only a part of the reason for the annual event.

He said: “The idea is to raise awareness of Zoe’s Place, but also to raise spirits.

"There were so many people waving, taking photographs, beeping their car horns, it was wonderful and, for me, Christmas starts with this day.
"We had people putting film on Youtube and Facebook was alight with it all.

“We had the Cleveland Police Band, the Ladies Choir at Guisborough, and so much else, the whole community coming together.

"There was George Dunning, leader of a Redcar and Cleveland Council who can’t do enough for us there, and James Wharton, MP for Stockton South, so all political opinions, everyone coming together.

“The idea is that while the children at Zoe’s Place are with us, they will want for nothing if we can help it, that’s what it’s all about.

“We think it’s at its maximum size now. Any bigger and we might lose the goodwill of the public, the very opposite of what we want.”