A Clapham cyclist is getting on his bike for the British Heart Foundation’s (BHF) London to Brighton Night Ride to give something back to the charity that helped fund the start of his career.

Rossa Brugha, from Clapham, will be riding the 60 mile route from London to Brighton, to help the charity that funded the start of his research.

He said: “This is a slightly bonkers challenge but I thought I owed the BHF back. I spent a couple of summers working in Brighton as a student and always used to see the thousands come up Madeira Drive at the end of the London to Brighton Day Ride and it always looked like great fun.

“I’m not a serious cyclist but I commute to work most days and am a huge advocate of cycling as an alternative to car use to improve air pollution which has such a serious impact on our health.”

The paediatrician, who works in London researching the effect of air pollution on children’s lungs, was a medical student at the University of Oxford 10 years ago and worked in a laboratory within the universities pharmacology department that was part funded by the BHF.

The London to Brighton Night Ride, the tougher big brother of the BHF’s iconic London to Brighton Day Ride, will be taking place from 11pm on July 13, and money raised from the ride will go towards the BHF’s Mending Broken Hearts Appeal, funding vital research into heart failure.

Last year cyclists riding from Clapham Common to Brighton’s seafront, raised more than £700,000 for the charity - making it the biggest night riding event in the UK.

Entry fees are £35 and individuals or teams can enter. All abilities are welcome, although training beforehand is strongly recommended.

To register, visit bhf.org.uk/l2bnight, or for further information, email nightride@bhf.org.uk or call 0300 456 8355.