Fire crews in 210-mile charity cycle ride

Oldham fire-fighters will swop fire engines for cycles when they pedal coast to coast in aid of charity.

They are tackling the 210-mile route from Connah’s Quay in North Wales to South Shields in three days in September, inspired by five-year-old Ethan Hornby, son of fireman Anthony Hornby, from Lees, who lost his left eye to cancer last year.

The youngster developed retinoblastoma, and a large tumour grew behind his left eye, which was removed to save his life at the Diana Princess of Wales Children’s Hospital in Birmingham.

Ethan, who goes to St Thomas’s School, Leesfield, uses a prosthetic eye, but is back to playing football and swimming.

Now Anthony and 13 fire-fighters from Oldham and Chadderton will use their pedal power to raise money for the Child Eye Cancer Trust charity, Chect.

The ride starts on September 8, and the team hope to finish on September 10.

Before they go they will be raising awareness of childhood eye cancers with a special appearance at the Spindles Shopping Centre on August 21, when they will take along their bikes and chat to shoppers.

Anthony said: “We want to raise a bit more awareness of retinoblastoma and raise as much money as we can.

“Ethan is fine now — he he has his prosthetic and and he is coping well. He has just started playing football.”

To make donations go to www.virginmoneygiving.com, look for the friends’ section and insert the name Ethan Hornby.