Tomlinson family's charity cycle ride completed

The family of late charity fund-raiser Jane Tomlinson have arrived back in Leeds after a 2,500-mile cycle ride from Istanbul.

Mrs Tomlinson's widower Mike was joined by their daughter Rebecca, son Steven, and other family members and friends during the five-week challenge.

The team often spent 10 hours a day in the saddle.

They hope to raise £10,000 for the Jane Tomlinson Appeal, which was was started as Mrs Tomlinson fought cancer.

Mrs Tomlinson, of Rothwell, Leeds, raised £1.85m through a series of challenges and the efforts have continued since her death in 2007, with almost £4m being raised to date.

'Breathtaking' challenge

The latest journey has taken in 12 countries including Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia, Croatia, Hungary and Slovakia.

Mr Tomlinson said he was "really proud" of the cyclists' achievement.

Mrs Tomlinson lost her battle against cancer in September 2007

He said: "The challenges that we do, they have to be breathtaking and when someone hears about what we are doing they have to go 'wow', because that's what Jane was.

"This was that, not just in terms of the distance and the countries but the speed we had to do it in.

"Jane would have absolutely loved to have done it, it would have been right up her street."

Mr Tomlinson said Jane set out to raised £5,000 when she started her fund-raising eight years ago.

"I am overwhelmed with the support that we have had from the British public," he said.

"I think we are getting to the stage where we are actually raising the money that Jane's effort deserved to achieve."