Footy club to rescue for charity bike rider

FUNDRAISER FOR PUPILS HIT AFTER TEACHING ASSISTANT'S CYCLE STOLEN

- By DANIEL HALL

A TEACHING assistant says he can now "crack on" with a challenge to cycle the distance between Newcastle and New York City after his stolen bike was replaced.

Garry Lee, a learning support assistant at Percy Hedley's Northern Counties school in Jesmond, is aiming to run and cycle 3,330 miles by the end of February as 10 students have been offered the opportunity of a "once in a lifetime" trip to the Big Apple.

Weeks after completing the Great North Run with other Percy Hedley staff members, he started the 172-day challenge which requires him to cycle or run an average of 19.36 miles per day, to finish just before the school trip.

However, his fundraising efforts were thrown into doubt just three weeks in when his bike was stolen from outside Sainsbury's on Etherstone Avenue in Heaton as he went in for medecine for his son.