Warm applause and fish and chips welcomed a Fakenham motorcyclist home from an epic 4,500-mile adventure around the British coastline which raised money for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI).

Eastern Daily Press: Matt Hawkes enjoyed fish and chips after finishing his epic journeyMatt Hawkes enjoyed fish and chips after finishing his epic journey (Image: Archant)

Matt Hawkes, 43, roared into Wells on his Triumph Rocket III Touring after a journey which saw him visit 170 lifeboat stations.

He was cheered in by members of the Wells RNLI lifeboat crew, the Wells Lifeboat Guild and family and friends and celebrated with a portion of fish and chips from French's Fish and Chips on Wells Quayside.

Mr Hawkes, a bus driver for First in Norwich, said: 'It was the perfect way to celebrate finishing, with family and friends.

'The ride went very smoothly with no problems at all, which is a testament to the quality of Triumphs.'

Mr Hawkes' motorcycle was painted in orange and blue to reflect the colours of the RNLI and spent more than a month on the road.

He completed his ride on Tuesday afternoon and estimates that he has raised between £4,000 and £5,000 but will continue raising funds by giving a series of talks about his adventures.

The money will go to the RNLI's national funds and Mr Hawkes said he would ask for it to be used to support an education programme run by the charity.

Mr Hawkes said: 'The programme is all about giving people information to make sure they don't get into trouble at sea in the first place, which is a really important aspect of what the RNLI does.'

Mr Hawkes is still accepting donations. People can donate by visiting http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/CircaNautica or by texting CIRCA to 70700.

To find out more about the fundraising talks, email Mr Hawkes at mattjnhawkes@gmail.com.

Are you doing something spectacular for charity? Email newsdesk@archant.co.uk