A charity cyclist has appealed for support before he sets off on an 800-mile return trip to Scotland today.

Dominic Broadley, 31, hopes to raise £1,200 for homeless charity Alone in London, which helps support young, vulnerable people.

The massage therapist, of Mornington Crescent, Cranford, plans to sleep in a tent he will carry with him, or depend on the kindness of strangers he meets on the journey.

He said: “I am hoping to get a favourable wind because if it’s blowing in the wrong direction it could cause me problems on the bike.

“I will be going into bars and maybe stop off at a few farms on the way and knocking on people’s doors, hoping they can give me water or fruit.

“I am going to take a tent and a sleeping bag, I prefer the freedom. If I feel tired and I’m out in the hills I can pitch a tent whenever I feel like sleeping.”

Following his return, Mr Broadley plans to go trekking in the Himalayas for another fundraising adventure.