Two members of staff from a Beccles opticians have completed a gruelling bike ride to help raise more than £3,500 for the British Heart Foundation.

Rene Moor and Jacqui Sayer of Observatory the Opticians were part of a nine-man team which completed the 55-mile London to Brighton Bike Ride last Sunday.

The team was made up of members of staff from Observatory the Opticians and sister company Wardale Williams, which has practices in Southwold, Ipswich, Sudbury, Haverhill, Halstead, Leigh-on-Sea and Muswell Hill.

Both Mr Moor and Ms Sayer spent the past five months training for the event and managed to tackle the Ditchling Beacon, which reaches a height of more than 800 feet near the end of the course.

Mr Moor said: “I am delighted to have been involved with such a fantastic team and to have raised so much money for a great cause.

“Taking part in the event was an experience I will never forget. It was challenging, but also very enjoyable.”

The British Heart Foundation London to Brighton Bike Ride has been held for the past 40 years and is one of the charity’s largest annual fundraising events. The charity is the UK’s largest funder of research into cardiovascular disease.

Jonathan Foreman, the company’s managing director, who also completed the ride, said: “The team completed the ride in around six hours and several of us managed to get to the top of the Ditchling Beacon without stopping, so we are really proud of our achievement.

“We have raised more than £3,500 already but we hope the final figure will be closer to £5,000.”

Are you raising money for charity? Email bbj.news@archant.co.uk or call 01502 712060 to speak to a reporter.