A BLACKBURN man raised over £800 for local charities during a recent cycling event.

Carl Varley, a waste consultant at Neales Waste Management, saddled up for Britain’s only closed-road charity bike ride wearing the same strip as Olympic three-time gold medallist Chris Hoy.

Cycling enthusiast Carl completed the gruelling 81-mile challenge around Perthshire, Scotland, in 4hrs 36mins finishing 181 out of 3,500 competitors.

Soreen Malt Loaf, part of the Blackburn based McCambridge group at Sett End Road, Blackburn, is one of Blackburn-based Neales’ biggest clients and when they heard about Carl’s two-wheeled challenge, they pledged £250 and donated the Olympians cycling strip.

Carl said: “It was a fantastic experience and certainly the biggest cycling challenge I’ve done.”

St Catherine’s Hospice, Lostock Hall, and Macmillan Cancer support benefitied from Carl’s cash.