A cyclist is nearly at the half-way point of a marathon bike ride that has taken him the length of the UK using one of the longest routes.

Duncan Mackay, who was brought up in Northallerton, but now lives in London, is travelling from Culver Point on the Isle of Wight to Cape Wrath, in Sutherland, on a folding bicycle.

The journey is nearly 1,000 miles and he is hoping to travel 50 miles a day. He is using a combination of the Sustrans National Cycle Network, canal towpaths, disused railway lines and single-track roads.

He is raising cash for the Back-Up Trust, which works for people with spinal cord injuries.

The trust helped to rehabilitate his brother-in-law, a fireman, when he crashed on his bicycle in May 2002 and broke his neck and back.

He is also raising money for the Safe Routes to School campaign being run by cycling charity Sustrans.

Mr Mackay set off on June 19 and today will be travelling to Penrith.

He hopes to complete the ride by July 6 and is also trying to raise awareness of environmentally friendly travel methods.