THOUSANDS of people across Suffolk are gearing up for this year's Children in Need.The annual appeal will take place on Friday with the aim of raising as much money as possible for disadvantaged children and young people across the UK.

THOUSANDS of people across Suffolk are gearing up for this year's Children in Need.

The annual appeal will take place on Friday with the aim of raising as much money as possible for disadvantaged children and young people across the UK.

And among those collecting cash for the cause will be Suffolk police constable Dave Solomon who will be undertaking an unusual commute to work.

Pc Solomon, a driving and motorcycling instructor who usually commutes on a traditional two-wheeled bicycle, has pledged to travel by unicycle on his 3.75-mile journey from home to Suffolk Police Headquarters in Martlesham Heath.

He will ride along Broadlands Way, Rushmere, Penzance Road, Bell Lane and the A1214 cycle path through Kesgrave.

Colleague Colin Teager, Graeme Read, Gary Pooley and Caroline Brinkley will be escorting Pc Solomon along his route armed with collection buckets.

He hopes to arrive at Police Headquarters at around 8.30am.

Pc Solomon's challenge is made all the harder by the fact he is only eleven months on from major knee surgery and was a complete novice when first picking up a unicycle in August.

He said: “A unicycle is a very challenging beast to learn to ride. I have also needed to develop sufficient stamina to be able to pedal, what is in unicycling terms, an immense distance.”

Last year, the BBC Children in Need Appeal raised more than �38 million, which included a huge contribution from this region.