A FATHER and son who are cycling from Land’s End to John O’Groats for charity were given a hero’s welcome when they made a detour to their home town on Saturday (July 6).

Caldicot duo Andy and Nathan Reeks were a quarter of the way through their 1,019-mile Lejog challenge when they called in on the St David’s Hospice Care shop in High Street to be welcomed by cheering family and friends.

Estate agent Nathan, 35, and his dad Andy, 63, have set themselves the target of raising £10,000 for the charity through the gruelling ride.

A saddle sore Nathan said: “There’s no doubt about it, the ride is a lot, lot harder than I imagined.

“The climbs in Cornwall and Devon were a nightmare with one- in-25 gradients. I am in awe of my dad – he’s been immense.

“We wanted to make this detour to Caldicot to thank all our wonderful supporters. To be honest, we’re quite overwhelmed by all the people who have turned out.”

Andy, the chairman of Caldicot Running Club, said: “It’s been tough. The second day was the hardest with all the hills, one after the other. And the heat – it was 30C on the second day.

“We’re so pleased that so many people came out to show support in Caldicot. It has given us the extra spur we needed to get on and finish the job.”

Kris Broome, of St David’s Hospice Care, who welcomed the pair to the town, said: “Andy and Nathan are amazing.

“It shows how much support they have by the number of people who turned out to welcome them.

“We can’t thank them enough for the monumental effort they are putting in to raise money for the charity.”

Andy and Nathan aim to reach John O’Groats this weekend (July 13-14).

You can donate by visiting Nathan James Estate Agents in Caldicot or via www.just giving.com/fundraising/nathaeeks

See www.stdavids hospicecare.org for more details.