A Bingley man is cycling across Europe to visit his son and raise money for charity.

Tony Stanley wants to raise more than £1,000 for the British Heart Foundation (BHF) by pedalling from Rotterdam in Holland to Bratislava in Slovakia.

The 59-year-old said he was looking forward to the challenge, but admitted he had never been a cyclist and only bought a bike in February.

“I went out in the middle of February and cycled to Skipton,” said Mr Stanley. “I think the lady in the cafe where I stopped wanted to give me a heart massage or something! I was covered in sweat.”

But it is a different story now, as Mr Stanley, of Gawthorpe Avenue, said: “I do 45 miles, three times a week now. I will do it.”

The idea came from Mr Stanley’s friend and squash partner John Bell. Mr Bell also happens to be a keen cyclist.

“We were chatting at Christmas about how I was going to visit my son at Easter,” said Mr Stanley, whose son Oliver, 28, lives in Bratislava with his wife Renka.

“John suggested we could cycle there. I didn’t even have a bike.”

Mr Stanley, who owns Stanley Cars on Canal Road in Bradford, will do 60 miles a day during the challenge and aims to arrive in the Slovakian capital within 16 days.

He said Mr Bell has a satellite navigation system to help as they travel through Holland, Germany and Austria before getting to Slovakia.

Mr Stanley is raising money for BHF because family members including his father and grandfather have suffered heart problems in the past.

He has set a target of at least £1,000. If you want to sponsor him, go to justgiving.com/Tony-Stanley1.