Southend dad's cycling challenge in memory of five-year-old son

Simon Lambert would frequently cycle with Archie on the front seat

A man has completed the London to Southend-on-Sea cycling challenge in memory of his five-year-old son.

Archie died in January after nearly two years of treatment for a Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma brain tumour.

Simon Lambert took on the 54-mile (87km) event on Sunday with the same toy duck resting on his handlebars that he used when cycling with his boy.

"I promised to Archie I would do the best I can to try to help give back to the charities that helped us," he said.

"I was humbled by how much people have helped and how Archie just carried on without any self-pity, and I wanted to return this in some way by riding my bike, which Archie loved to be taken about on."

Archie (centre) died in January after two years of treatment

Mr Lambert's toy duck, bought for when he cycled with Archie, has become his mascot

The network engineer, 51, has raised money for eight charities - Young Lives vs Cancer, Little Havens Hospices, Abbie's Army, The Unbeatable Eva Foundation, Torbay Holiday Helpers Network, Thumbs up For Charlie, Gold Geese and Make-a-Wish UK.

"Throughout this time we received so much help from various charities helping us as a family enjoy time together, many of which have been started up by parents whose child had also died from the same disease," said Mr Lambert, who lives in Westcliff-on-Sea.

He said his next feat would be trying to ride from Edinburgh to Southend next year.