Four brothers are cycling from London to Paris in memory of a friend who died of cancer.

Tarkan Ahmet, 32, of Chigwell and his brothers Tarik, Arif and Hakan are embarking on the 240-mile, three-day journey, which started yesterday.

The cycling enthusiasts decided to take on the challenge in memory of 21-year-old Eren Pars, a family friend from Chigwell, who died three months ago after a tumour was discovered in his spine.

Mr Ahmet said: “We though it would be fantastic to raise money in aid of Connah’s Appeal, which supports Welsh ten-year-old Connah Broom, who needs surgery in America for a rare form of cancer.

“We have already raised �800 and we hope to raise more. We have been training for four months and we will be packing lots of spares after suffering five punctures and two split tyres in one day.”

To donate please send Paypal payments to tarkan_ahmet@hotmail.com or visit Your Move Glenwood, High Road, Chadwell Heath. To find out more about Connah’s Appeal please visit www.connahsappeal.co.uk.