Two cyclists have raised much needed money for The Samaritans.

INTREPID bikers Jennie Small and Dave Ingber cycled almost 200 miles over three days from Big Ben to the Eiffel Tower to raise much needed funds for The Samaritans’ local branch based in Hitchin

They smashed their �2,000 target and now hope to raise nearly �3,000 by the time they present a cheque to the branch the weekend after next.

People can still make a donation by going to www.londontoparis.biz

After setting off from central London, Jennie and Dave pedalled the five miles to Clapham Common.

The next day they left Clapham, along with 27,000 other cyclists on the London to Brighton bike ride. After a picnic on Brighton Beach, they had 10 more miles to cycle to get to Newhaven.

There was a ferry to Dieppe the next day and 51 miles to cover before reaching St Germer de Fly – half of the stage on Avenue Verte, the off road cycle route from Dieppe.

The final day took them to Paris through parks and along the Seine and through the forest where they took a few wrong turns but frustration turned to determination and excitement when the Eiffel Tower appeared in their sights.

Tired but elated, the brave duo who had been training for months had succeeded in their quest despite a setback of the theft of Jennie’s bike in May.

But the Rotary Club and Trek Bikes came to the rescue and the event went ahead as planned.

Peter, the Samaritans’ branch director at Hitchin, congratulated Jennie and Dave on their achievement. He said it was a wonderful donation which would be spent on the office boiler which is in need of repair or replacement.