A man whose father passed away from cancer has raised over £2,500 to help the charity that supported them.

Nawal Didi, 46, of Albert Road, Southall, lost his father to liver cancer in March after a year long battle.

In his final days 76-year-old Har Datt Didi was treated by Marie Curie Cancer Care. His son was so thankful of the treatment he received that he decided to cycle from Cardiff to Southall to raise money for the charity.

Mr Didi completed the distance of around 140 miles in just three days. He raised £2563.08 in the process, surpassing his target of £2000 by 28%.

He usually cycles twice a week at a local track but this was the first time he had ever done anything on this scale.

He admitted he was under-prepared by not having trained much for this ride.

Mr Didi, who suffers from arthritis in his knees following a bike accident in 2007, said: “One of the biggest challenges was the hills between Cardiff and Bristol.

“I definitely over-packed, it felt like I was carrying everything but the kitchen sink. I had to drop a third of it off with a mate's son who lives nearby.”

Despite this Mr Didi described his experience as being  very therapeutic. He said: “I was able to reflect on my father and think about the sort of man he was.

“It gave me a great sense of closure.”

Mr Didi's efforts did not go unrecognised by his community. Upon arriving back in Southall he discovered that his local pub, The Red Lion, had held a fund-raiser for him, managing to raise £440.

However Mr Didi's biggest supporter throughout remained his mother, Champa Didi who donated £750 to her son's cause, saying on his Just Giving fund-raising page: “Nawal I am proud of you, today and always.”

The success of this fund-raising venture has inspired Mr Didi to cycle from Leeds to London next April, a distance of over 180 miles.

He plans to cycle with friends next time, saying at least five had already shown interest.