Pedal power generates £4,500 as pair reach Paris

Peter Butcher, 53, of Amherst Road, was affectionately labelled "the engine" for the 300 mile journey by Dr Graham Whincup, 57, of Sedlescombe.

Another 1,000 donations are still to be collected for the pair, who raised funds for the Echo Appeal for the British Heart Foundation at The Conquest, where Graham is consultant paediatrician.

Peter said that despite training, "nothing could prepare" them for the collaboration required on a tandem. The pair used a hard-wired intercom system to talk while cycling, with Graham feeding details of corners and road obstacles back to Peter. They set off on May 6, in a pack of 106 riders, and finished by the Eiffel Tower four days later.

Peter said: "Many people still lined these streets following the VE parades and gave us a great welcome.

"Finally we arrived at the base of the Tower, our destination and what a very emotional moment it was. A challenge and a trip to be thoroughly recommended."

Graham and Peter funded the trip and the tandem themselves, and thanked all those who donated to their cause.

For more information about their trip, visit www.original.justgiving.com/tandemonium, and read the tributes paid by many generous Bexhill residents.

Peter Butcher, left, and Graham Whincup at journey's end in front of Paris' Eiffel Tower last month