A cracked rib couldn’t stop Major Nick Wood from completing his most recent mission, after the Corsham-based officer defied injury to cycle across England for charity.

The operations officer at MOD Corsham suffered the injury on the first day of his coast-to-coast challenge last week, but still managed to cycle from Saint Bees in Cumbria to Robin Hood’s Bay, near Whitby, in just over four days.

He said: “I came off the bike going down a rocky lane when I wasn’t paying attention, which made me realise I had to be more careful.”

He took on the endurance challenge to raise funds for the Bath RUH’s new cancer centre appeal.

He said: “Family members, neighbours and colleagues have suffered with cancer, and a lot of people in the military and this community are treated at the RUH.

“The care they give is second to none, and it’s only going to get better with the new centre.

“A few months ago some of my friends shaved their heads for charity, but I have a number two shave every few weeks, so that’s not much of a challenge for me.

“I said I wanted to do something where every pound raised would count, and managed to raise over £6,000, with money still coming in.”

The 46-year-old, who lives in Trowbridge, only took up mountain biking in April, but still managed to complete the 164 mile route through the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales, starting on Sunday and finishing last Thursday.

He said: “It wasn’t easy; I carried, pushed and cycled over difficult terrain for about ten hours a day, before pitching my tent for some well-earned rest.

“Much of the route was nothing more than a mountain climb uphill and an equally hard descent as I navigated through some really challenging countryside.

“The views were magnificent though, which made the effort all the more enjoyable.”

Donations can still be made to Major Wood’s appeal, via https://www.justgiving.com/Nic-Wood