A man has pushed himself to the limit in an epic cycle for charity.

Bough Beech resident, Paul Hitchcott, completed a gruelling 500km cycle from London to Paris in aid of blood cancer charity Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research.

Paul, 57, who lives near the Sevenoaks area, completed the ride alongside friend and colleague Danny Breithaupt as part of a six month fundraising partnership between the charity and Frankie & Benny's which has raised £245,000 so far.

Paul, who is property director of Frankie & Benny’s, said: “This has been a real challenge for me, but absolutely worth it. I can tell you now that the northern French Alps are not as flat as everybody has said they are!

"The ride was very humbling at times, we met a lot of people who had relatives that suffered from blood cancer and hearing their stories made the journey all the more worth while.

“The money will go towards beating blood cancer and ultimately saving lives, something that is definitely worth cycling for.

"The end of the race was fantastic, they had closed the Champs-Elysee for us to cycle down, that was so inspiring.”

Paul's partner Camilla met him at the final stop in Paris, he said: "It was just so great to see her, we stayed in Paris for a couple of days and had a much-needed mini holiday."

Cathy Gilman, chief executive of Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research, added: “The effort that Paul has put into training and on the ride itself has been inspirational.

"Our partnership with Frankie & Benny’s continues to be a brilliant success and we are so grateful for all the fundraising so far. Every penny raised for Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research will help us in our mission to beat blood cancer and improve patients’ lives.”

The partnership between the charity and restaurant has produced a series of fundraising events including free breakfasts, a “kids eat free” weekend, and a pizza designing competition.

To donate to the cause visit: beatingbloodcancers.org.uk/trgleisurebusiness