Thousands of pounds raised through an annual charity bike ride have been presented to staff at the East Anglian Air Ambulance.

A cheque for £4,750 - half of the proceeds from this year’s Beccles Cycle for Life - was presented by members of the Rotary Club of Beccles to air ambulance staff at their Norwich base.

The funds were raised by riders’ entry fees and sponsorship donations and the other half of the total raised will be distributed through the charitable trust of the Rotary Club to other good causes.

The Rotarians were greeted by Holly Noon from the charity’s fundraising team and were able to see both the reserve helicopter that is presently on station while the usual one is being serviced and also a critical care road response vehicle that was recently added to the fleet.

A Rotary Club spokesman said: “Unusually, the air ambulance on station was predominantly red. It had formerly been yellow and had been based at Norwich before the current one, but has been in Wales in another ambulance service in the meantime.”

Holly Noon thanked the club for its regular support through the event, which has contributed about £36,000 over the years to the maintenance of the air ambulance service.

On behalf of the club John Swanbury, press officer, thanked her and the team for their kind welcome and acknowledged the huge local support for the cycling event, without which this money would not be raised.

The Beccles Cycle for Life event took place for the 16th time this year in May, setting off from the Sir John Leman High School. More than 400 cyclists took part, with riders travelling from as far away as London as well as all over Norfolk and Suffolk to take part, completing seven, 15, 25, 40 or 50 mile routes.

And prizes were presented to seven of the sponsored riders at the Beccles Hospital Fete back in June for their efforts.

For more information about the work of the East Anglian Air Ambulance visit www.eaaa.org.uk• Do you have a Beccles story? Email the details to bbj.news@archant.co.uk