Fundraising friends inspired by a dad with terminal cancer have set off on a gruelling nine day cycle ride across the length of Britain.

Jamie Davis, Neil Humphrey, Neil Cuthbertson and Rob Fisher, all from Kingston, hope to raise £50,000 for the Macmillian Trust through their self-titled 1000in9 cycle challenge, which began on Friday.

The dads were stirred into undertaking the exhaustive Lands End to John O’ Groats trip by their friend, 44-year-old father-of-three Martin Dunford, who was given a year to live in September 2011.

Mr Cuthbertson said the group, who have already raised over £20,000, hope the next week will push them toward their target.

He said: "It has been a long time in planning so we glad to finally be on our way. This is the first time I have done anything like this so it will be tough but we could not have a bigger inspiration for this trip than Martin.

"We could not have got anywhere our target without all the generous support from people in Kingston and across the country.

"We could not be more prepared for this trip so let’s hope we can push on toward our goal of £50,000."

Mr Dunford, diagnosed with Mesothelioma Cancer, a cancer of the cavity between the lungs and the body, hopes to join the fundraiser on part of the trip.

Follow their progress on Twitter @1000in9 or log on to the web site www.1000in9.co.uk for more information.