Adventurous photographer Doug Jackson has returned to the picture desk of the Whitby Gazette after taking part in an epic cross-country challenge.

Doug, (28), was part of a team of five to complete a 1,000 mile trip from John O’Groats to Land’s End – on mopeds.

The wacky snapper got the idea after meeting a man who had ridden the whole of the Cleveland Way (long distance walk) on an electric scooter.

And with the help of his brother Mark, and friends Ian Cas, Ian Cummins and Mark Welford, he raised £1,000 for Leukaemia Cancer Research.

Doug said: “It was great fun. It was funny to see the reaction of people in John O’Groats and Land’s End, and after we’d finished there was a strange feeling that we could have kept going on… to France and Italy.”

The team began its seven-day journey in John O’Groats after making the overnight trip from Whitby in a van.

After leaving John O’Groats the team rode down the east coast before camping down for the night at Loch Ness and then heading south, making further stops in Lanark, Chester, Bath and Newquay before reaching Land’s End.

Throughout the journey the team took it in turns to ride four Honda C90s, while the other followed in the van.

Doug said: “It went quite smoothly – apart from when one of the bikes blew up just outside Glasgow. But we managed to find a new engine in Preston.

“We were also lucky to have good weather, with hardly any rain. But it was very tiring – driving the van was luxury.”

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