Man completes 200-mile ride on bike of daughter who died aged 7

A bereaved father has completed a 200-mile ride from Bristol Children’s Hospital to Land’s End on the bike that belonged to his daughter who died from a brain tumour at the age of seven.

The ride by Peter Williams from Penzance aimed to raise money for the Brain Tumour Charity in memory of his daughter Ellie, a keen cyclist who had been able to ride without stabilisers at the age of three.

As of Sunday lunchtime, almost £40,000 had been donated via his Just Giving page – four times his £10,000 target.

Mr Williams, who stands six feet tall, undertook the journey on her Isla Bikes bicycle, and said before setting off that as a result he would have to ride much of it out of the saddle.

He told BBC News: “People have been stopping me on the way, giving me donations, tooting their horns.

“At one stage, a sheepdog tried herding me into a field with some sheep.

“That was a bit of a worry but I’ve only had one puncture in 200 miles, so it couldn’t have gone better.

“Ellie was a delightful little girl. She was really creative, sporty,” he added.

“She had a brilliant personality and she would have been right behind me on this ride, I can guarantee it.”