Buses are beaten by bikes over 1,000 miles

After using 48 buses to travel about 1,250 miles a senior warden at a Black Country park was beaten by cyclists in a nine-day challenge to raise cash for Cancer Research UK.

Alan Peace, aged 64, senior warden at Himley Hall, near Dudley, today celebrated raising thousands of pounds after the John O'Groats to Land's End trip. He finished six minutes behind his scheduled time on the 501 bus from Penzance at 1.40pm on Thursday - an hour and a half behind riders James Green, 23 and friend Chris Soden, 33, of Telford.

Mr Green, of Swindon, near Dudley, is the son of Mr Peace's fiancee Debbie, 51.

The amateur racing cyclist, also a downhill mountain biker, has completed postgraduate studies at Worcester University and qualified as a primary school teacher. He and Chris did 1,009 miles deviating from the most direct route to find cheaper overnight accommodation.

Mr Peace said: "They did have the edge though because they set off at 6am on the final day whereas I could not start until 9.30am because I was restricted by my bus pass.

"For the cyclists it is one hell of an achievement to cycle over a thousand miles, all I had to do was get on a bus.

"But there are not any losers in this because Cancer Research UK will benefit from up to £3,000 and I met some fantastic characters along the way."

On July 21 Mr Peace's first bus was the number 77 John O'Groats-Wick.

Some days he caught as many as 10 and on day six went through the Black Country using buses such as the 257 Dudley-Kingswinford — which was late.

Two buses broke down at Okehampton in Devon but he added: "It has been the longest bus journey but generally speaking public transport was very reliable."

He started fundraising for the charity in 2004 after losing wife Joan to cancer.

Since then he has raised almost £27,000. He received a Cancer Research UK Flame of Hope Award and an Express & Star Local Hero Award last year.

Cancer Research UK's Leonie Hudson said: "All three have demonstrated terrific commitment to this challenge and to raising funds for Cancer Research UK."

People can donate by visiting the JustGiving website and finding Alan Peace.

By Heather Loat