FIFTEEN firefighters are cycling the length of France for charity with the help of two Chester-le-Street firms.

The group set off from Calais on Monday and are spending five days cycling about 1,000 miles to Monte Carlo.

Two of the bikes, worth about £900 each were donated by Discount Autoparts, on Front Street in Chester-le-Street and Cestria Insurance in Chester-le-Street.

The bikes were handed over on Saturday to firefighter Alan Renshaw, who lives in Chester-le-Street.

He said: "We need pretty good bikes to be able to cope with eight or nine hours a day, every day, for five or six days. We're hoping to cover between 100 and 250 miles a day. At the end of the day, it's all for a good cause."

The firefighters, who all work at Peterlee fire station, will then have one day to sample the sights of Monte Carlo and must then return to work in Peterlee.

The gruelling race is to raise money for the station's dedicated charity, the NSPCC, with about 20 per cent of the money going to the Fire Service Benevolent Fund.

Most of the bicycles in the race have been donated by businesses and will be raffled off at the end of the race.

The cycle ride will round off a year of fundraising at the Peterlee station, which has already raised about £15,000 for their charities.

Big Brother star Jonny Regan was on the fundraising committee before he left to pursue his media career.